My Testimony

He Holds My Right Hand
By:  Victoria L. Stankus

I grew up in a Christian home. My parents came to know Jesus when they were young, and they were active in church before I was born. So, I grew up in church, and it didn’t take me long to realize who Jesus was and what He did for me on the cross. When I was 4 years old, my mother was teaching a Good News Club in our home for the neighborhood children and, as I listened, I understood I was a sinner, so I asked Jesus to forgive me for my sins, and I trusted Him for my salvation.

My family moved around quite a bit while I was growing up (I counted 9 different school systems from K-12), which made it hard for me to make close friendships. So, as I grew into my teen years, I started to realize how important it is to have a good relationship with family, as well as a personal and growing relationship with God. I began reading my Bible more on my own and, at the age of 15, I discovered my favorite verse: 

Isaiah 41:13 - For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (NIV)

This verse was important to me because it helped me to remember I was not alone. God would always be there for me, helping me along the way. He didn’t promise my life would always be easy, but He did promise He would be there, holding my hand. I have hung on to that verse through the years, and it has certainly helped encourage me during my most difficult times.

To be brief, some of the difficulties that have caused me to learn and grow and hold tight to God's hand include:

  • Watching my husband (of 3 years at that time) undergo a tricky open-heart surgery to replace a valve and part of his aorta. 
  • Two years of infertility. 
  • Hearing our daughter, our first child, was diagnosed with moderate autism at the age of 2 ½ (a neuro-developmental disorder affecting communication and social skills), as well as a diagnosis of mild mental disability.
  • Helping our son, our 2nd child, through the difficulties that come with Tourette Syndrome (a neurological disorder that presented with uncontrollable tics & vocalizations, fatigue, sensory processing issues, OCD, and learning difficulties.) 
  • Undergoing treatments for breast cancer - twice! 
  • Seeking medical help for our daughter when she was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 14. Testing also revealed a pituitary tumor that is, thankfully, non-cancerous, but is still being monitored for potential growth.  
  • Coping with the loss of loved ones, specifically my grandma and my dad. 

Being a Christian obviously does not mean everything will be perfect in our lives. Each of us has gone through our own struggles, some much worse than what I could imagine. But, I know for a fact that a relationship with Christ can help you make it through the difficult times. He has made a difference in my life and, without Him being there to hold my hand, I don’t know how I would survive the struggles of this world.

If you let Him, God will be there to hold your hand and help you through the difficult times as well.

Last revised: 7-28-21
Longer version available upon request

2 comments:

  1. How wonderful it is to have a God that is always with us and helps us in every trial. I've learned this truth as well. Thanks for sharing specifics about letting God help you in challenging trials.

    ReplyDelete

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