Philippians 3:12-14, New Living translation

“I don’t mean to say that I have achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

My Testimony (Part One)

I began attending church as a teenager, but I was never fully committed. I was riding the fence—until I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of twenty-four. Around that same time, I had recently married the man I had spent the previous seven years with—through most of high school and throughout college. I married my best friend.

He was raised in a Christian home; I was not. His parents were still married; mine were not. From my perspective, I had hit the jackpot.

After a few years, we decided we were ready to start a family. Our first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage during the first trimester. It hit me hard emotionally, but I believed I would be okay—as long as I had God and my best friend by my side.

Before long, I became pregnant again. The pregnancy progressed normally, and our son Wyatt was born. However, there were underlying complications, and he lived for only 16 days.

I was devastated.

I struggled deeply. I was angry. I didn’t understand why. I so desperately wanted my baby, but Wyatt was gone. I battled depression and grief. I wanted to crawl under a rock and disappear. Still, I told myself I would be okay—as long as I had my best friend by my side.

Three months later, still processing the raw pain of losing Wyatt, we discovered I was pregnant again. Once more, the pregnancy progressed normally. Josiah was born on April 23, 1999, but he came with complications. His lungs were underdeveloped, and he had to be transported to Akron Children’s Hospital.

During the ambulance transport, his lungs failed, and he required resuscitation.

He spent three weeks in the NICU. For the first 10 months of his life, he was on continuous oxygen and a heart monitor.

When Josiah finally came home, he was still fragile and needed constant care. Those early months were exhausting and filled with worry—but also filled with small victories. Every breath, every milestone, every single day was a gift.

Please come back next week to read, “My Testimony” (Part Two)