WEBVTT 00:00:01.229 --> 00:00:04.549 Do you really believe that God is good? I mean, 00:00:04.549 --> 00:00:07.410 that He has your best interest in mind? I mean, 00:00:07.410 --> 00:00:10.349 even when circumstances and relationships are 00:00:10.349 --> 00:00:13.810 really, really hard. Well, stay with me. You 00:00:13.810 --> 00:00:18.510 won't want to miss today's message. Welcome to 00:00:18.510 --> 00:00:21.070 this edition of Living on the Edge with Chip 00:00:21.070 --> 00:00:23.489 Ingram. Our mission is to inspire Christians 00:00:23.489 --> 00:00:26.750 to be genuine followers of Jesus and to empower 00:00:26.750 --> 00:00:29.370 them to be active disciple -makers in our world. 00:00:30.010 --> 00:00:31.489 Well, have you ever found yourself wrestling 00:00:31.489 --> 00:00:34.250 with a challenging question Chip posed? Perhaps 00:00:34.250 --> 00:00:36.689 you've faced a painful experience in the past 00:00:36.689 --> 00:00:39.289 or are entering one right now, which has caused 00:00:39.289 --> 00:00:43.450 you to ask, God, why me? Or where are you? Well, 00:00:43.490 --> 00:00:45.450 if you've been there, this broadcast will encourage 00:00:45.450 --> 00:00:47.909 you. Today, we're featuring Chip's wife, Teresa 00:00:47.909 --> 00:00:51.130 Ingram's powerful testimony. Now, some of you 00:00:51.130 --> 00:00:53.390 may have heard bits and pieces of her story before, 00:00:53.609 --> 00:00:56.179 but this program is different. A few years ago, 00:00:56.259 --> 00:00:58.719 she sat down with her son, Ryan Ingram, at his 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:01.259 church in San Jose, California, and shared her 00:01:01.259 --> 00:01:03.920 entire testimony in a genuine and vulnerable 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:06.439 way. So I really think what you're about to hear 00:01:06.439 --> 00:01:09.540 will deeply inspire your soul. So without any 00:01:09.540 --> 00:01:11.900 further delay, let's dive into today's program, 00:01:12.260 --> 00:01:18.379 Beauty from Ashes. You know, As I was studying 00:01:18.379 --> 00:01:21.400 and wrestling with the goodness of God, I was 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.640 talking to a friend and she said, you know, yes, 00:01:24.739 --> 00:01:27.379 God is good even when all evidence points to 00:01:27.379 --> 00:01:30.459 the contrary. A .W. Tozer in his classic Knowledge 00:01:30.459 --> 00:01:32.640 of the Holy, we've been traveling through that, 00:01:32.739 --> 00:01:35.379 writes this, the goodness of God is that which 00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:39.900 disposes him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, 00:01:39.900 --> 00:01:43.500 and full of goodwill toward men. He is tenderhearted 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:47.290 and of quick sympathy. By his nature, he is inclined 00:01:47.290 --> 00:01:50.870 to bestow blessedness, and he takes holy pleasure 00:01:50.870 --> 00:01:54.950 in the happiness of his people. I asked my mom 00:01:54.950 --> 00:01:56.950 to join me, which is really fun. And mom, why 00:01:56.950 --> 00:02:00.250 don't you come on out today? This is the first 00:02:00.250 --> 00:02:02.250 time we've ever gotten to share a stage. Thank 00:02:02.250 --> 00:02:06.489 you for welcoming her. I have this. You can go 00:02:06.489 --> 00:02:12.150 ahead and grab a seat. A major reason was, as 00:02:12.150 --> 00:02:15.740 I thought about the goodness of God, While all 00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:19.340 evidence points to the contrary, you can look 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:23.259 back at your life right now and go, wow, God 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:26.699 has been so good. Four amazing kids, I might 00:02:26.699 --> 00:02:31.419 add, that you had. All married. One in particular 00:02:31.419 --> 00:02:38.659 is really great. Annie, the daughter. You have 00:02:38.659 --> 00:02:42.629 12 grandkids. God's using your life. You just 00:02:42.629 --> 00:02:45.610 wrote a book as well, Precious in His Sight. 00:02:46.650 --> 00:02:51.870 And yet, the beginning of your story, I would 00:02:51.870 --> 00:02:55.090 say all evidence pointed to the contrary. Yes. 00:02:55.150 --> 00:02:57.750 And I would love just for you to share your story. 00:02:57.810 --> 00:03:00.590 How did you come to know Jesus? What was a little 00:03:00.590 --> 00:03:04.759 bit of your background? Well, my life has been 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:08.500 really interesting, and it certainly is a lot 00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:11.599 different than I thought it would be. I grew 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:15.639 up in a very small rural area in West Virginia. 00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:19.800 I can hardly explain it to you because most of 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:23.599 you wouldn't be able to relate. It's in the heart 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:28.400 of the Appalachian Mountains. It's a lot of the 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.680 people in my town, which was very, very small. 00:03:31.500 --> 00:03:35.080 lived up what we called hollers. And there were 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:38.620 a lot of poor people and just people that were 00:03:38.620 --> 00:03:44.400 struggling a lot. And I just, that was my environment 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:49.680 for 12 or more years growing up, going to school. 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:55.919 So it was a lonely life for me. My mother didn't 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:59.560 drive. So we were stuck at home all the time. 00:04:01.330 --> 00:04:04.650 fearful person. She was very quiet. She didn't 00:04:04.650 --> 00:04:07.129 talk very much, and she was afraid to go out 00:04:07.129 --> 00:04:10.669 and do things. In fact, she would send me, when 00:04:10.669 --> 00:04:12.830 I was old enough, to go and do some of the things 00:04:12.830 --> 00:04:16.110 that she didn't want to do. So she was, she's 00:04:16.110 --> 00:04:19.550 a sweet, a sweet mom, and I love her dearly, 00:04:19.550 --> 00:04:26.050 but she really never expressed to us outwardly 00:04:26.050 --> 00:04:32.800 in her words. or with hugs, that she loved us. 00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:36.600 And I'm not sure why, because I knew that she 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:39.879 did because of the way she took care of us. And 00:04:39.879 --> 00:04:43.740 my dad, it was a totally different story. My 00:04:43.740 --> 00:04:48.259 dad was an alcoholic. I would see him drinking 00:04:48.259 --> 00:04:51.500 as soon as he got up in the morning. Every morning 00:04:51.500 --> 00:04:57.209 he had to have a drink to start the day. was 00:04:57.209 --> 00:05:00.230 very strict with all of us. There were three 00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:03.430 girls in our family, and he was very strict. 00:05:03.810 --> 00:05:07.310 We had to stay home almost all the time. We lived 00:05:07.310 --> 00:05:10.870 away from people, so we didn't have a lot of 00:05:10.870 --> 00:05:13.730 interaction and a lot of opportunities. And I 00:05:13.730 --> 00:05:17.670 hear about all the opportunities that young people 00:05:17.670 --> 00:05:20.529 have today, and I just feel like, oh my gosh, 00:05:20.709 --> 00:05:24.610 what would I have been if I had had those opportunities? 00:05:25.579 --> 00:05:29.560 But the thing is, I was right where God wanted 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:32.040 me to be. That's where he brought me into this 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:35.560 life. And I learned and I grew. I learned to 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:39.480 work hard. And my best friends were my dog and 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:42.860 the animals. We had farm animals. And I loved 00:05:42.860 --> 00:05:46.660 books. That's how I spent my summers, was waiting 00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:48.540 on the bookmobile to come through so I could 00:05:48.540 --> 00:05:52.040 get books to read. And I would read and I loved 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:56.509 music. And just things that I could do alone. 00:05:56.889 --> 00:05:59.490 And it was all those things that really soothed 00:05:59.490 --> 00:06:03.910 me during those times. Well, as I went through 00:06:03.910 --> 00:06:07.790 high school and under such a strict father who 00:06:07.790 --> 00:06:10.490 I was terribly afraid of because he would punish 00:06:10.490 --> 00:06:13.589 us over the least little thing we did wrong. 00:06:13.689 --> 00:06:16.089 We felt like we had to be perfect all the time. 00:06:16.350 --> 00:06:20.129 And I couldn't be. No one can be. And so when 00:06:20.129 --> 00:06:24.300 I graduated from high school, I wanted to do 00:06:24.300 --> 00:06:27.319 was get away from there. I really rebelled in 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:31.860 my heart. I wanted more, and I knew that there 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:35.180 was more out there for me, but I couldn't find 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:38.660 it where I was. And so I fought with my dad that 00:06:38.660 --> 00:06:42.279 he would allow me to go to college. And so I 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:45.639 won, and I got to go to Fairmont State College. 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:49.560 And while I was there, I started dating a young 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:53.629 man who... loved me, or I thought who loved me, 00:06:53.730 --> 00:06:59.250 and he was what I built my whole life upon at 00:06:59.250 --> 00:07:03.689 that time. He was going to college, and I went 00:07:03.689 --> 00:07:06.569 two years, and then I took a job at the college 00:07:06.569 --> 00:07:09.370 so I could support him and put him the rest of 00:07:09.370 --> 00:07:11.910 the way through school, and I had all these dreams 00:07:11.910 --> 00:07:16.660 of what life was going to be like. I was going 00:07:16.660 --> 00:07:19.040 to be married. I was going to have a home. I 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:20.920 was going to have children. Life was going to 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:24.819 be wonderful. And I was going to just be so happy. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:29.259 And so those are the dreams I had. But I didn't 00:07:29.259 --> 00:07:32.600 know the Lord. I didn't grow up in a Christian 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:37.160 home. We went to church, but it was just a place 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.660 to go. I never heard the scriptures during all 00:07:40.660 --> 00:07:45.220 that time. After we got married, I worked and 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:48.560 he finished college. He finished college and 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:53.579 he got a job right away. And I had gotten pregnant. 00:07:53.980 --> 00:07:57.240 And about three months after he graduated from 00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:01.160 college, we had twin boys. And I was shocked 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:04.339 because at that time, they didn't do sonograms. 00:08:04.379 --> 00:08:07.220 And I didn't know I was having twins until they 00:08:07.220 --> 00:08:11.180 were born. So it was a real shock. But they were 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:16.839 just the sweetest little babies, and I'm so thankful 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:23.060 for them. But my husband just was so self -centered. 00:08:23.079 --> 00:08:28.279 He was so into his life, what he wanted, what 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:33.159 would make him happy. And he became very involved 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:38.639 in alcohol, just like my dad. became involved 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:42.679 in some drugs and partying a lot. And he started 00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:46.419 going out at night and partying with friends. 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:52.779 And I didn't feel like he really was taking care 00:08:52.779 --> 00:08:58.019 of us or that he cared about us. But my dreams 00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:01.320 were still, oh, this is going to change. We're 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:03.320 just in this new season, and it's going to change, 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:06.360 and everything's going to be great. Well, I found 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:09.879 out that it wasn't going to be great. When my 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:13.120 little boys were about six months old, he packed 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:15.840 his bags, took everything out of his closet, 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:21.220 and he left us. He had gotten involved with another 00:09:21.220 --> 00:09:24.919 woman. And I found out he'd been lying to me, 00:09:25.019 --> 00:09:28.799 and I found out, and I confronted him with it, 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:34.259 and he just left. And I didn't have any support. 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.779 I lived in a little apartment with a broken -down 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:43.740 car, and I had to quit my job because I had two 00:09:43.740 --> 00:09:46.919 babies instead of one, and I wasn't able to take 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:50.799 care of them when I worked. And so I felt like 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:53.980 I was left with nothing. There was nothing. And 00:09:53.980 --> 00:09:56.580 I didn't know the Lord. I didn't have the help 00:09:56.580 --> 00:10:02.580 of Jesus in my life. So he left at first and 00:10:02.580 --> 00:10:05.620 he moved down the street with this lady. So I 00:10:05.620 --> 00:10:09.019 had to drive past that place every time I went 00:10:09.019 --> 00:10:12.539 out because it was a one -way street. And it 00:10:12.539 --> 00:10:15.980 was just really difficult. I was devastated. 00:10:17.620 --> 00:10:23.169 My heart was broken. I just, I felt like my life 00:10:23.169 --> 00:10:27.590 was over. I don't have a life anymore. And I 00:10:27.590 --> 00:10:32.029 became really, really depressed, very discouraged. 00:10:32.750 --> 00:10:36.370 But I look back now and I see God was at work. 00:10:36.889 --> 00:10:42.269 And he was searching for me and calling me all 00:10:42.269 --> 00:10:46.269 that time. So I went back up to the college. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:49.860 And they had a job opening and I took it. And 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:52.899 I was able to find childcare for my little boys 00:10:52.899 --> 00:10:57.240 because I had to work. I had no money. I didn't 00:10:57.240 --> 00:11:00.240 have family that could help me in that way. And 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:03.299 so I went back and I ended up working with the 00:11:03.299 --> 00:11:06.480 director of admissions at this college. And he 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:10.879 was a godly man. He loved the Lord. And I knew 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.659 nothing about, I knew the little stories about 00:11:13.659 --> 00:11:18.360 Jesus. from going to Sunday school, but I'd never 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:20.840 read the Bible. I knew nothing about the Lord. 00:11:20.899 --> 00:11:24.399 I didn't even know what being saved meant. And 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.600 so I would go in his office. We would work together 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:31.980 on sending out letters to the students. And so 00:11:31.980 --> 00:11:35.600 I would be in his office every day for a little 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.840 while. And I went to work and I wanted to be 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:42.340 strong and I didn't share anything to anyone 00:11:42.340 --> 00:11:45.429 about what was going on in my life. Because I 00:11:45.429 --> 00:11:49.409 guess I was too proud. I didn't want people to 00:11:49.409 --> 00:11:53.350 know that my life was falling apart. So I would 00:11:53.350 --> 00:11:55.990 go in his office, and one day he asked me how 00:11:55.990 --> 00:11:58.970 I was doing. And I just started crying right 00:11:58.970 --> 00:12:01.090 in front of him. I thought, this is terrible. 00:12:01.350 --> 00:12:03.950 Just boo -hooing right in front of your boss. 00:12:04.590 --> 00:12:11.509 And he was so, so loving. And every day after 00:12:11.509 --> 00:12:14.639 that, when I would go in, He would tell me about 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:21.240 the love of God. And I heard it over and over. 00:12:22.299 --> 00:12:25.000 But I didn't know him. I didn't know the Lord. 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:31.860 And so I was thinking about this for weeks, actually. 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:34.580 And he kept telling me that God would take care 00:12:34.580 --> 00:12:37.440 of me, that he would take care of my children. 00:12:38.019 --> 00:12:40.980 I'm so sorry, Ryan. I can't keep from crying. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:46.159 No, you're great. So after hearing this for a 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:49.940 while, I thought, well, I know, you know, if 00:12:49.940 --> 00:12:53.419 my friend who had become my friend says that 00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:58.860 God is real and he's a he's a educated man. I 00:12:58.860 --> 00:13:02.600 mean, there must be something to it. And so he 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:05.799 invited me to church to go with him one night 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:08.799 to this little church in the country. He was 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.279 a lay preacher sometimes at a free Methodist 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:14.120 church, and he would. go around to some of these 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:15.940 little churches when they needed a pastor and 00:13:15.940 --> 00:13:17.759 he would preach. And he was preaching at this 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:21.139 little church out in the country. And he asked 00:13:21.139 --> 00:13:23.940 me, he and his wife asked me if I would go, would 00:13:23.940 --> 00:13:27.480 go with them. So I started thinking, because 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:30.639 I didn't know, I didn't know where God was. I 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:34.059 didn't know how to find him. And in my mind, 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:36.759 I was thinking, well, if there really is a God, 00:13:36.899 --> 00:13:39.919 he must be at church. He's got to be at church. 00:13:40.830 --> 00:13:44.590 And so I went with them, and I really was expecting 00:13:44.590 --> 00:13:48.769 something to happen. And my sister, my younger 00:13:48.769 --> 00:13:51.509 sister came, and she was helping me with the 00:13:51.509 --> 00:13:54.450 boys. And so we went to church, and I sat through 00:13:54.450 --> 00:13:56.950 this church service. It was just a typical free 00:13:56.950 --> 00:14:01.389 Methodist church service. And my friend gave 00:14:01.389 --> 00:14:04.190 the message. They sang hymns. They prayed, and 00:14:04.190 --> 00:14:09.370 nothing happened. And I was distraught. I just 00:14:09.370 --> 00:14:11.509 remember walking out of that building thinking, 00:14:11.649 --> 00:14:16.250 this isn't real. There really isn't a God. And 00:14:16.250 --> 00:14:20.129 as I was out getting in the car, putting the 00:14:20.129 --> 00:14:24.210 boys in the car seats, and a little old lady 00:14:24.210 --> 00:14:26.990 out in the parking lot, and I didn't know any 00:14:26.990 --> 00:14:29.950 of these people, she came up to me and just said, 00:14:30.190 --> 00:14:33.269 do you want to be saved? And I didn't know what 00:14:33.269 --> 00:14:39.399 saved meant, but I said yes. And it was, to me, 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:42.580 it's a miracle. She didn't know what was going 00:14:42.580 --> 00:14:45.240 on in my life, and God just led her to do that. 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:48.779 And so I went back into the church, and everybody 00:14:48.779 --> 00:14:51.519 in the parking lot got out of their cars and 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:53.700 went back in the church and went to the altar 00:14:53.700 --> 00:14:58.019 with me, and we prayed, and I came to know Jesus 00:14:58.019 --> 00:15:03.659 that night as my Savior. And when I went home, 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:07.000 you know, I didn't, I didn't know scripture. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:11.539 And the only verse that I knew was Psalm 23, 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:14.039 which I had memorized in Sunday school. And that's, 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:18.279 the Lord is my shepherd. And so I just remember 00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:21.059 the next morning getting ready for work. And 00:15:21.059 --> 00:15:23.360 I was having such a battle in my mind. And I 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:27.039 just kept saying Psalm 23 over and over. And 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:31.100 I wasn't aware of spiritual battle at that time. 00:15:31.220 --> 00:15:34.559 And I think I was really having a spiritual battle. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:38.899 for my soul, and I kept saying Psalm 23 over 00:15:38.899 --> 00:15:44.659 and over and over, and then I started to get 00:15:44.659 --> 00:15:47.919 involved with, or I want to say I didn't start 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:50.759 getting involved. People got involved in my life 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:54.159 and helped me and supported me and helped me 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:59.159 to grow during that time, and I'm just, to me, 00:15:59.179 --> 00:16:04.000 it's just a miracle of the Lord. That he would 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:08.519 choose me. And it's even more of a miracle that 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:12.440 I'm up here on this stage. And my son is sitting 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:17.879 right here. But that's what my early days were 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:22.860 like. And I was 25 when I came to Christ. Thank 00:16:22.860 --> 00:16:25.320 you for sharing. And this is fun to get to be 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:28.159 on the stage together. Hopefully many more times. 00:16:28.779 --> 00:16:33.320 We'll see. We'll see. I have to pass the test 00:16:33.320 --> 00:16:38.720 first. Oh, he already passed it. You know, one 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:41.539 of the Psalms, as we're talking about the goodness 00:16:41.539 --> 00:16:44.279 of God, is taste and see that the Lord is good. 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:47.720 Psalm 34a, blessed is the one who takes refuge. 00:16:48.620 --> 00:16:51.960 And so now you're a single mom with twin babies, 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:54.559 which are my brothers, by the way. So if you're 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:59.019 wondering, is Ryan a twin? No. Chip adopted the 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:02.379 boys after we got married. So we are a family. 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:08.130 Absolutely. And so how in those early days and 00:17:08.130 --> 00:17:11.970 early years did you begin to taste and see that 00:17:11.970 --> 00:17:13.509 the Lord is good? You know, we're going to sing 00:17:13.509 --> 00:17:16.670 a song after this that says you keep on getting 00:17:16.670 --> 00:17:18.809 better. And it's not that God's getting better. 00:17:18.890 --> 00:17:20.869 We've talked about this. But the more you get 00:17:20.869 --> 00:17:25.210 to know God and his goodness, the better he becomes 00:17:25.210 --> 00:17:27.769 to you because you're experiencing more fully 00:17:27.769 --> 00:17:30.329 who he is. How did you begin to taste and see 00:17:30.329 --> 00:17:33.359 his goodness through those next years? have to 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:36.940 say it's a slow process but also for some it's 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:40.460 a fast process and I began real slowly but when 00:17:40.460 --> 00:17:46.180 I really grasped who God is then it was that 00:17:46.180 --> 00:17:50.799 was all I needed. I really grew spiritually during 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:54.599 that time but I have to say it was people in 00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:59.359 my life that helped me. It was my friends who 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:02.240 helped lead me to Christ, who encouraged me to 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:04.640 go to church. They encouraged me to get in the 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:09.779 Word. And they helped me. They brought things 00:18:09.779 --> 00:18:14.220 that I needed, brought food, took care of helping 00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:17.799 with my kids. It was people. It was the body 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:21.339 of Christ who really loved me that got me off 00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:26.180 in a good way. And just having that reminder, 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:29.299 even when I didn't want to go to church. having 00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:33.160 that reminder of someone calling and saying, 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:37.440 you know, we'll pick you up, we'll help you, 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:41.059 but we just want you to be there. And so I would 00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:43.400 say that was number one. And then I learned to 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:48.819 get in the Word of God, which was, you know, 00:18:48.859 --> 00:18:54.700 God says that His Word is a refuge, that He is 00:18:54.700 --> 00:18:58.170 a refuge, and His Word is... gives us strength 00:18:58.170 --> 00:19:01.609 and his word gives us hope and gives us direction. 00:19:01.769 --> 00:19:07.470 And as I get in the word of God, it was like 00:19:07.470 --> 00:19:12.869 a light went on. When you come to Christ and 00:19:12.869 --> 00:19:16.130 you're saved, you have the Holy Spirit. We have 00:19:16.130 --> 00:19:19.390 Christ living in us. And it was like my eyes 00:19:19.390 --> 00:19:24.029 were opened. And when I read the Bible, it would 00:19:24.029 --> 00:19:27.460 just jump off the page. God would speak to me, 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:30.759 and it was such a precious time for me, especially 00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:33.819 in those years of being a single mom and just 00:19:33.819 --> 00:19:37.160 feeling alone and feeling desperate. God's Word 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:42.759 was my delight, and I'm very thankful that I 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:46.940 learned. Even the people that helped me just 00:19:46.940 --> 00:19:49.859 to get going in my Christian life helped me to 00:19:49.859 --> 00:19:52.299 get in the Word, and they spent time with me, 00:19:52.339 --> 00:19:56.470 and they taught me. And I'm very grateful for 00:19:56.470 --> 00:19:59.250 that. And I learned how to pray, the same people. 00:19:59.349 --> 00:20:02.509 I went through a prayer class early on, very 00:20:02.509 --> 00:20:05.289 early in my Christian life with a group of five 00:20:05.289 --> 00:20:07.589 ladies in the basement of a free Methodist church. 00:20:08.809 --> 00:20:12.430 And what's amazing to me, you kind of think in 00:20:12.430 --> 00:20:17.769 those little obscure places that God's surely 00:20:17.769 --> 00:20:20.650 not working there. You know, that there's not 00:20:20.650 --> 00:20:22.990 godly people there. But I'm telling you, there 00:20:22.990 --> 00:20:26.839 are. God has people everywhere. And these five 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:30.420 ladies taught me to pray. And I learned to pray 00:20:30.420 --> 00:20:33.720 my first out loud prayer with them. And I learned 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:37.200 to believe. As I watched them pray and I shared 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.279 my very first prayer request, these ladies believed. 00:20:41.380 --> 00:20:44.140 They believed that when you pray, God is going 00:20:44.140 --> 00:20:48.980 to answer. And he did. And so that was my first 00:20:48.980 --> 00:20:50.920 introduction to prayer, which has carried me 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:56.099 through my whole life. Another thing that really 00:20:56.099 --> 00:21:01.380 helped me was God just kept showing up. You know, 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:04.559 as I was in the Word, as I would cry out to Him, 00:21:04.819 --> 00:21:08.359 He just kept showing up all over the place. I 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:12.380 just remember a time that I had a car that broke 00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:14.619 down all the time, and I was driving along, and 00:21:14.619 --> 00:21:17.740 I had the boys in the back seat, and my car broke 00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:21.700 down. I never knew what to do. And there just 00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:24.480 happened to be a mechanic right behind me. And 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:28.440 he got out of his car and helped fix my car and 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:32.000 get me back on the road. And another time, I 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:36.640 was so lonely on the weekends. I had too much 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:40.279 time to myself, and I liked being busy. I could 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:41.779 get through the weeks, but the weekends were 00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:44.400 really hard. And I was sitting on the floor in 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:46.740 the living room one time. It was after the... 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:51.380 I do everything after the boys go to bed. But 00:21:51.380 --> 00:21:55.480 I was praying. I said, Lord, I am so lonely. 00:21:55.700 --> 00:22:01.420 Will you please send someone to my door? And 00:22:01.420 --> 00:22:05.920 it was the most amazing thing. There was a knock 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:09.839 at the door a few minutes later, and it wasn't 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:14.119 my knight in shining armor. It was my friend, 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:18.200 Edith, who was next door. And she was just a 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:22.180 lovely older lady. And she came to the door and 00:22:22.180 --> 00:22:25.140 we sat and we became the best of friends. And 00:22:25.140 --> 00:22:27.180 I had the opportunity later on to lead her to 00:22:27.180 --> 00:22:32.519 Christ. And so God just showed up in just amazing 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:37.140 ways. I was praying for a husband and my friends 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:39.279 were praying that God would give me a husband. 00:22:39.819 --> 00:22:44.000 And I wanted my kids to have a dad. And so as 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:49.339 I prayed, My friend suggested that we go to this 00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:51.859 Navigator meeting, which was a college ministry 00:22:51.859 --> 00:22:56.000 meeting that was hosted by this Navigator group. 00:22:56.420 --> 00:23:01.380 And Chip, my now husband, was leading that group. 00:23:01.579 --> 00:23:04.140 And so it was a Bible study. It was singing and 00:23:04.140 --> 00:23:06.400 worship, and it was just for college kids. But 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:11.700 I went, and I went just to meet him because my 00:23:11.700 --> 00:23:14.819 friend was telling me about him. And so I went 00:23:14.819 --> 00:23:18.650 to meet him. And I did. I saw him, and I was 00:23:18.650 --> 00:23:21.450 really, really attracted to him. And I thought, 00:23:21.710 --> 00:23:26.430 oh, maybe he's the one. Maybe he's the one God 00:23:26.430 --> 00:23:29.150 has sent here for me because I haven't met anyone 00:23:29.150 --> 00:23:37.849 else. Literally the only one. The only one. And 00:23:37.849 --> 00:23:42.349 so the next week, I thought, well, I'm going 00:23:42.349 --> 00:23:45.599 to go back. Because who knows what God is doing. 00:23:46.519 --> 00:23:49.000 And I really believed in the power of prayer. 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:52.140 And so I took my little boys with me. So they 00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:54.779 were babies. They were like two years old. And 00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:57.539 I took them in their little pajamas with feet 00:23:57.539 --> 00:24:01.000 on. I mean, you know, that have the feet. And 00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:05.039 so we walk in this rally with all these college 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:08.000 kids. And, you know, I just sat down and act 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:10.400 like I'm a part of it. And had these two little 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:16.160 boys. I thought if he's the one that God has 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:19.660 for me, he needs to know I have kids. And so 00:24:19.660 --> 00:24:22.380 then he didn't pay much attention to me. I think 00:24:22.380 --> 00:24:24.880 he might have, you know, said hi or something, 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:28.960 but he didn't particularly notice me. And so 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:31.900 I went home that night, and I was so distraught 00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:36.160 again. And I thought, I'm not going back there. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:39.980 And that was the first time in my life I surrendered. 00:24:40.750 --> 00:24:43.690 something to God, and I remember sitting on my 00:24:43.690 --> 00:24:46.289 bed that night, and I just put out my hands, 00:24:46.430 --> 00:24:51.029 and I said, Lord, I'm not going back there, and 00:24:51.029 --> 00:24:53.109 if he's the one you've brought here for me, and 00:24:53.109 --> 00:24:56.089 see, I still was thinking that, then you bring 00:24:56.089 --> 00:24:59.230 him to me. I'm not going to do anything. If you 00:24:59.230 --> 00:25:02.869 want him to come to me, you bring him to me, 00:25:03.009 --> 00:25:07.529 and so, you know, a few weeks went by, and nothing 00:25:07.529 --> 00:25:12.460 happened, and I Just thought, well, you know, 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:16.039 nothing is going to happen. But then one night, 00:25:16.099 --> 00:25:19.319 Chip called me. And he had been thinking about 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:22.640 me this whole time. And he went through the pages 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:26.980 of the, they had a roster where people that would 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:28.740 come would put their names and their telephone 00:25:28.740 --> 00:25:30.539 numbers just so they could keep track of who 00:25:30.539 --> 00:25:32.779 was coming. And he flipped through the pages 00:25:32.779 --> 00:25:36.539 until he found my name. And he called me. And 00:25:36.539 --> 00:25:40.720 that was the beginning. I was in shock. And that 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:44.900 was the beginning of a relationship that grew 00:25:44.900 --> 00:25:49.920 into just what we've shared for the last 43 years. 00:25:50.140 --> 00:25:54.140 And then he became the father of my children. 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:57.940 And then we had two more children. And that was 00:25:57.940 --> 00:26:00.680 just one of the most amazing answers to prayer 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:06.000 that I ever had. You were speaking about... prayer. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:09.019 And I just can tell you that my mom is a prayer 00:26:09.019 --> 00:26:14.359 warrior. And one of my fond memories growing 00:26:14.359 --> 00:26:17.839 up as a kid is I would wake up in the early mornings, 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:22.099 you know, to go use the bathroom. And she would 00:26:22.099 --> 00:26:26.000 always be up and she'd be on the couch and the 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:29.220 lamp would be on and she'd have a hot cup of 00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:33.039 coffee and she'd just spend hours in the morning 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:36.950 with Jesus. And, you know, it's been said that 00:26:36.950 --> 00:26:39.289 God doesn't have favorites, but he has intimates. 00:26:40.170 --> 00:26:45.049 And you are an intimate. And I think that model 00:26:45.049 --> 00:26:47.970 for me, it was always so powerful in a picture. 00:26:48.269 --> 00:26:54.490 Sorry, I don't mean to make you cry. And I love 00:26:54.490 --> 00:26:57.250 the Psalm, Psalm 73, where it says, but as for 00:26:57.250 --> 00:27:00.789 me, the nearness of God is my good. And then 00:27:00.789 --> 00:27:02.890 when it's talking about the goodness of God, 00:27:02.950 --> 00:27:06.170 you see this repeated, is that when you really 00:27:06.170 --> 00:27:08.690 believe that God is good, you make him your refuge. 00:27:09.589 --> 00:27:12.670 You make him, he is the true safe harbor. And 00:27:12.670 --> 00:27:15.250 so instead of trying to navigate on your own, 00:27:15.430 --> 00:27:19.690 you run to him. And I think that's the story 00:27:19.690 --> 00:27:23.130 that I've seen over and over is that the nearness 00:27:23.130 --> 00:27:25.750 of God is your good and you've made him your 00:27:25.750 --> 00:27:30.779 refuge just because you've learned. That intimacy 00:27:30.779 --> 00:27:33.799 with Jesus. How did that foster? How did that 00:27:33.799 --> 00:27:39.220 develop? I think it happened because I was desperate. 00:27:39.900 --> 00:27:44.420 And I needed God. At a time when I felt like 00:27:44.420 --> 00:27:52.099 I had nothing to give, that he came to me. And 00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:55.819 I learned that I could pour out my heart to him. 00:27:56.319 --> 00:28:00.710 And he carried me through. all kinds of trials 00:28:00.710 --> 00:28:06.289 of life, and we all have those. But he's with 00:28:06.289 --> 00:28:10.049 us all the time, and he cares. And I've learned 00:28:10.049 --> 00:28:12.829 that he listens. He cares about what we say. 00:28:13.009 --> 00:28:17.269 He cares about what we think. And he wants to 00:28:17.269 --> 00:28:20.650 hear us. He wants us to talk with him, and he 00:28:20.650 --> 00:28:23.549 wants to speak to us through his word and through 00:28:23.549 --> 00:28:27.130 nature. through people, and he speaks to us in 00:28:27.130 --> 00:28:29.210 many ways to give us hope and encouragement. 00:28:30.250 --> 00:28:35.450 And so I think I was really blessed that it was 00:28:35.450 --> 00:28:38.289 through difficulty that I came to know the Lord 00:28:38.289 --> 00:28:41.069 because I realized that he was all that I needed. 00:28:41.910 --> 00:28:44.650 And one thing I've always thought about is when 00:28:44.650 --> 00:28:50.089 you realize that God is all you have, then you 00:28:50.089 --> 00:28:53.700 realize that he's all you need. in whatever situation 00:28:53.700 --> 00:28:58.519 that you're going through. So that's how it all 00:28:58.519 --> 00:29:01.240 started. And then the hunger, you know, for God's 00:29:01.240 --> 00:29:03.680 word, as we're in his word, that hunger develops 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:05.799 and you develop a relationship with him. And 00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:10.920 it's a treasure, those treasured times to be 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:15.119 able to spend in God's word and prayer. And when 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.460 I was a single mom and I was hurting so badly 00:29:18.460 --> 00:29:21.750 and I was learning to pray, When I would come 00:29:21.750 --> 00:29:24.430 home from work, the first thing I would do, because 00:29:24.430 --> 00:29:28.410 I was hurting so much, and I had read in the 00:29:28.410 --> 00:29:31.049 Bible that, well, you don't have to do this, 00:29:31.109 --> 00:29:33.589 but I thought you did, that you go into your 00:29:33.589 --> 00:29:38.470 closet and pray. I took it all literally. And 00:29:38.470 --> 00:29:41.710 so I would run into my little closet. There was 00:29:41.710 --> 00:29:44.230 hardly room for me to get in it. It was so tiny. 00:29:44.569 --> 00:29:46.710 But I ran in there, and I'd get on my knees, 00:29:46.809 --> 00:29:50.059 and I would just pour out my heart to God. And 00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:54.660 he met me. And I've spent my life, fortunately, 00:29:54.819 --> 00:29:58.279 with a wonderful husband to be able to express 00:29:58.279 --> 00:30:01.680 to other people that God has the same for you. 00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:05.019 That when you cry out to him, he will meet you 00:30:05.019 --> 00:30:09.559 in your need. Doesn't mean everything will change, 00:30:09.740 --> 00:30:12.440 but he's with you and he gives you all that you 00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:16.220 need in that moment. So I think for me, God became 00:30:16.220 --> 00:30:21.500 so real that... It was like he was my friend 00:30:21.500 --> 00:30:25.940 walking beside me. And I just, as we're talking 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:29.140 about the goodness of God, that verse that most 00:30:29.140 --> 00:30:31.799 of us know is that all things work together for 00:30:31.799 --> 00:30:35.559 good to those who love him. And I can verify 00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:38.380 that, that we may not see it all in this life, 00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:42.279 but whatever we go through, that God is working 00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:49.660 for good in our lives. insightful end to this 00:30:49.660 --> 00:30:53.119 edition of Living on the Edge. Our guests today 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:56.359 were Ryan Ingram and his mom, Teresa. And if 00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:58.519 you'd like to learn more about Teresa's resources 00:30:58.519 --> 00:31:01.380 that were mentioned today, go to livingontheedge 00:31:01.380 --> 00:31:05.160 .org and search for Precious in His Sight. You'll 00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:07.559 find her book, the broadcast series she taught, 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:10.359 and her affirmation cards, which is a helpful 00:31:10.359 --> 00:31:12.619 tool packed with daily biblical encouragement. 00:31:13.190 --> 00:31:15.430 Learn more about these resources when you go 00:31:15.430 --> 00:31:20.109 to livingontheedge .org and search for Precious 00:31:20.109 --> 00:31:23.049 in his site. Well, from all of us here, I'm Dave 00:31:23.049 --> 00:31:25.109 Drewy, thanking you for listening to this edition 00:31:25.109 --> 00:31:27.849 of Living on the Edge, and I hope you'll join 00:31:27.849 --> 00:31:28.930 us again next time.