A Testimony of Lamentation

My pastor asked me to share a personal testimony at church of a time or situation where I’ve felt grief, lament, and experienced God's presence. This is an edited version of what I shared on 06/26/2022 at West Covina Christian Church. If you want to see me share it you can watch it on the church's recording of that service:

My story of lament is the story of how I ended up not finishing my undergrad college degree. To understand it though, I need to share a little bit more about what led me to college to begin with. My middle school and high school years were a very tumultuous time – I struggled with depression and some of the issues that come with that. I also identified as a Christian. Even though I had an abstract understanding of God’s personal love for me, I often did not feel worthy of it – so I never let myself feel it. Through a miracle of grace, I made it through those teen years – God made it clear to me that my life was not worthless AND that there was purpose to be found in living a life dedicated to God’s glory.