Do you really believe that God is good? I mean,
that He has your best interest in mind? I mean,
even when circumstances and relationships are
really, really hard. Well, stay with me. You
won't want to miss today's message. Welcome to
this edition of Living on the Edge with Chip
Ingram. Our mission is to inspire Christians
to be genuine followers of Jesus and to empower
them to be active disciple -makers in our world.
Well, have you ever found yourself wrestling
with a challenging question Chip posed? Perhaps
you've faced a painful experience in the past
or are entering one right now, which has caused
you to ask, God, why me? Or where are you? Well,
if you've been there, this broadcast will encourage
you. Today, we're featuring Chip's wife, Teresa
Ingram's powerful testimony. Now, some of you
may have heard bits and pieces of her story before,
but this program is different. A few years ago,
she sat down with her son, Ryan Ingram, at his
church in San Jose, California, and shared her
entire testimony in a genuine and vulnerable
way. So I really think what you're about to hear
will deeply inspire your soul. So without any
further delay, let's dive into today's program,
Beauty from Ashes. You know, As I was studying
and wrestling with the goodness of God, I was
talking to a friend and she said, you know, yes,
God is good even when all evidence points to
the contrary. A .W. Tozer in his classic Knowledge
of the Holy, we've been traveling through that,
writes this, the goodness of God is that which
disposes him to be kind, cordial, benevolent,
and full of goodwill toward men. He is tenderhearted
and of quick sympathy. By his nature, he is inclined
to bestow blessedness, and he takes holy pleasure
in the happiness of his people. I asked my mom
to join me, which is really fun. And mom, why
don't you come on out today? This is the first
time we've ever gotten to share a stage. Thank
you for welcoming her. I have this. You can go
ahead and grab a seat. A major reason was, as
I thought about the goodness of God, While all
evidence points to the contrary, you can look
back at your life right now and go, wow, God
has been so good. Four amazing kids, I might
add, that you had. All married. One in particular
is really great. Annie, the daughter. You have
12 grandkids. God's using your life. You just
wrote a book as well, Precious in His Sight.
And yet, the beginning of your story, I would
say all evidence pointed to the contrary. Yes.
And I would love just for you to share your story.
How did you come to know Jesus? What was a little
bit of your background? Well, my life has been
really interesting, and it certainly is a lot
different than I thought it would be. I grew
up in a very small rural area in West Virginia.
I can hardly explain it to you because most of
you wouldn't be able to relate. It's in the heart
of the Appalachian Mountains. It's a lot of the
people in my town, which was very, very small.
lived up what we called hollers. And there were
a lot of poor people and just people that were
struggling a lot. And I just, that was my environment
for 12 or more years growing up, going to school.
So it was a lonely life for me. My mother didn't
drive. So we were stuck at home all the time.
fearful person. She was very quiet. She didn't
talk very much, and she was afraid to go out
and do things. In fact, she would send me, when
I was old enough, to go and do some of the things
that she didn't want to do. So she was, she's
a sweet, a sweet mom, and I love her dearly,
but she really never expressed to us outwardly
in her words. or with hugs, that she loved us.
And I'm not sure why, because I knew that she
did because of the way she took care of us. And
my dad, it was a totally different story. My
dad was an alcoholic. I would see him drinking
as soon as he got up in the morning. Every morning
he had to have a drink to start the day. was
very strict with all of us. There were three
girls in our family, and he was very strict.
We had to stay home almost all the time. We lived
away from people, so we didn't have a lot of
interaction and a lot of opportunities. And I
hear about all the opportunities that young people
have today, and I just feel like, oh my gosh,
what would I have been if I had had those opportunities?
But the thing is, I was right where God wanted
me to be. That's where he brought me into this
life. And I learned and I grew. I learned to
work hard. And my best friends were my dog and
the animals. We had farm animals. And I loved
books. That's how I spent my summers, was waiting
on the bookmobile to come through so I could
get books to read. And I would read and I loved
music. And just things that I could do alone.
And it was all those things that really soothed
me during those times. Well, as I went through
high school and under such a strict father who
I was terribly afraid of because he would punish
us over the least little thing we did wrong.
We felt like we had to be perfect all the time.
And I couldn't be. No one can be. And so when
I graduated from high school, I wanted to do
was get away from there. I really rebelled in
my heart. I wanted more, and I knew that there
was more out there for me, but I couldn't find
it where I was. And so I fought with my dad that
he would allow me to go to college. And so I
won, and I got to go to Fairmont State College.
And while I was there, I started dating a young
man who... loved me, or I thought who loved me,
and he was what I built my whole life upon at
that time. He was going to college, and I went
two years, and then I took a job at the college
so I could support him and put him the rest of
the way through school, and I had all these dreams
of what life was going to be like. I was going
to be married. I was going to have a home. I
was going to have children. Life was going to
be wonderful. And I was going to just be so happy.
And so those are the dreams I had. But I didn't
know the Lord. I didn't grow up in a Christian
home. We went to church, but it was just a place
to go. I never heard the scriptures during all
that time. After we got married, I worked and
he finished college. He finished college and
he got a job right away. And I had gotten pregnant.
And about three months after he graduated from
college, we had twin boys. And I was shocked
because at that time, they didn't do sonograms.
And I didn't know I was having twins until they
were born. So it was a real shock. But they were
just the sweetest little babies, and I'm so thankful
for them. But my husband just was so self -centered.
He was so into his life, what he wanted, what
would make him happy. And he became very involved
in alcohol, just like my dad. became involved
in some drugs and partying a lot. And he started
going out at night and partying with friends.
And I didn't feel like he really was taking care
of us or that he cared about us. But my dreams
were still, oh, this is going to change. We're
just in this new season, and it's going to change,
and everything's going to be great. Well, I found
out that it wasn't going to be great. When my
little boys were about six months old, he packed
his bags, took everything out of his closet,
and he left us. He had gotten involved with another
woman. And I found out he'd been lying to me,
and I found out, and I confronted him with it,
and he just left. And I didn't have any support.
I lived in a little apartment with a broken -down
car, and I had to quit my job because I had two
babies instead of one, and I wasn't able to take
care of them when I worked. And so I felt like
I was left with nothing. There was nothing. And
I didn't know the Lord. I didn't have the help
of Jesus in my life. So he left at first and
he moved down the street with this lady. So I
had to drive past that place every time I went
out because it was a one -way street. And it
was just really difficult. I was devastated.
My heart was broken. I just, I felt like my life
was over. I don't have a life anymore. And I
became really, really depressed, very discouraged.
But I look back now and I see God was at work.
And he was searching for me and calling me all
that time. So I went back up to the college.
And they had a job opening and I took it. And
I was able to find childcare for my little boys
because I had to work. I had no money. I didn't
have family that could help me in that way. And
so I went back and I ended up working with the
director of admissions at this college. And he
was a godly man. He loved the Lord. And I knew
nothing about, I knew the little stories about
Jesus. from going to Sunday school, but I'd never
read the Bible. I knew nothing about the Lord.
I didn't even know what being saved meant. And
so I would go in his office. We would work together
on sending out letters to the students. And so
I would be in his office every day for a little
while. And I went to work and I wanted to be
strong and I didn't share anything to anyone
about what was going on in my life. Because I
guess I was too proud. I didn't want people to
know that my life was falling apart. So I would
go in his office, and one day he asked me how
I was doing. And I just started crying right
in front of him. I thought, this is terrible.
Just boo -hooing right in front of your boss.
And he was so, so loving. And every day after
that, when I would go in, He would tell me about
the love of God. And I heard it over and over.
But I didn't know him. I didn't know the Lord.
And so I was thinking about this for weeks, actually.
And he kept telling me that God would take care
of me, that he would take care of my children.
I'm so sorry, Ryan. I can't keep from crying.
No, you're great. So after hearing this for a
while, I thought, well, I know, you know, if
my friend who had become my friend says that
God is real and he's a he's a educated man. I
mean, there must be something to it. And so he
invited me to church to go with him one night
to this little church in the country. He was
a lay preacher sometimes at a free Methodist
church, and he would. go around to some of these
little churches when they needed a pastor and
he would preach. And he was preaching at this
little church out in the country. And he asked
me, he and his wife asked me if I would go, would
go with them. So I started thinking, because
I didn't know, I didn't know where God was. I
didn't know how to find him. And in my mind,
I was thinking, well, if there really is a God,
he must be at church. He's got to be at church.
And so I went with them, and I really was expecting
something to happen. And my sister, my younger
sister came, and she was helping me with the
boys. And so we went to church, and I sat through
this church service. It was just a typical free
Methodist church service. And my friend gave
the message. They sang hymns. They prayed, and
nothing happened. And I was distraught. I just
remember walking out of that building thinking,
this isn't real. There really isn't a God. And
as I was out getting in the car, putting the
boys in the car seats, and a little old lady
out in the parking lot, and I didn't know any
of these people, she came up to me and just said,
do you want to be saved? And I didn't know what
saved meant, but I said yes. And it was, to me,
it's a miracle. She didn't know what was going
on in my life, and God just led her to do that.
And so I went back into the church, and everybody
in the parking lot got out of their cars and
went back in the church and went to the altar
with me, and we prayed, and I came to know Jesus
that night as my Savior. And when I went home,
you know, I didn't, I didn't know scripture.
And the only verse that I knew was Psalm 23,
which I had memorized in Sunday school. And that's,
the Lord is my shepherd. And so I just remember
the next morning getting ready for work. And
I was having such a battle in my mind. And I
just kept saying Psalm 23 over and over. And
I wasn't aware of spiritual battle at that time.
And I think I was really having a spiritual battle.
for my soul, and I kept saying Psalm 23 over
and over and over, and then I started to get
involved with, or I want to say I didn't start
getting involved. People got involved in my life
and helped me and supported me and helped me
to grow during that time, and I'm just, to me,
it's just a miracle of the Lord. That he would
choose me. And it's even more of a miracle that
I'm up here on this stage. And my son is sitting
right here. But that's what my early days were
like. And I was 25 when I came to Christ. Thank
you for sharing. And this is fun to get to be
on the stage together. Hopefully many more times.
We'll see. We'll see. I have to pass the test
first. Oh, he already passed it. You know, one
of the Psalms, as we're talking about the goodness
of God, is taste and see that the Lord is good.
Psalm 34a, blessed is the one who takes refuge.
And so now you're a single mom with twin babies,
which are my brothers, by the way. So if you're
wondering, is Ryan a twin? No. Chip adopted the
boys after we got married. So we are a family.
Absolutely. And so how in those early days and
early years did you begin to taste and see that
the Lord is good? You know, we're going to sing
a song after this that says you keep on getting
better. And it's not that God's getting better.
We've talked about this. But the more you get
to know God and his goodness, the better he becomes
to you because you're experiencing more fully
who he is. How did you begin to taste and see
his goodness through those next years? have to
say it's a slow process but also for some it's
a fast process and I began real slowly but when
I really grasped who God is then it was that
was all I needed. I really grew spiritually during
that time but I have to say it was people in
my life that helped me. It was my friends who
helped lead me to Christ, who encouraged me to
go to church. They encouraged me to get in the
Word. And they helped me. They brought things
that I needed, brought food, took care of helping
with my kids. It was people. It was the body
of Christ who really loved me that got me off
in a good way. And just having that reminder,
even when I didn't want to go to church. having
that reminder of someone calling and saying,
you know, we'll pick you up, we'll help you,
but we just want you to be there. And so I would
say that was number one. And then I learned to
get in the Word of God, which was, you know,
God says that His Word is a refuge, that He is
a refuge, and His Word is... gives us strength
and his word gives us hope and gives us direction.
And as I get in the word of God, it was like
a light went on. When you come to Christ and
you're saved, you have the Holy Spirit. We have
Christ living in us. And it was like my eyes
were opened. And when I read the Bible, it would
just jump off the page. God would speak to me,
and it was such a precious time for me, especially
in those years of being a single mom and just
feeling alone and feeling desperate. God's Word
was my delight, and I'm very thankful that I
learned. Even the people that helped me just
to get going in my Christian life helped me to
get in the Word, and they spent time with me,
and they taught me. And I'm very grateful for
that. And I learned how to pray, the same people.
I went through a prayer class early on, very
early in my Christian life with a group of five
ladies in the basement of a free Methodist church.
And what's amazing to me, you kind of think in
those little obscure places that God's surely
not working there. You know, that there's not
godly people there. But I'm telling you, there
are. God has people everywhere. And these five
ladies taught me to pray. And I learned to pray
my first out loud prayer with them. And I learned
to believe. As I watched them pray and I shared
my very first prayer request, these ladies believed.
They believed that when you pray, God is going
to answer. And he did. And so that was my first
introduction to prayer, which has carried me
through my whole life. Another thing that really
helped me was God just kept showing up. You know,
as I was in the Word, as I would cry out to Him,
He just kept showing up all over the place. I
just remember a time that I had a car that broke
down all the time, and I was driving along, and
I had the boys in the back seat, and my car broke
down. I never knew what to do. And there just
happened to be a mechanic right behind me. And
he got out of his car and helped fix my car and
get me back on the road. And another time, I
was so lonely on the weekends. I had too much
time to myself, and I liked being busy. I could
get through the weeks, but the weekends were
really hard. And I was sitting on the floor in
the living room one time. It was after the...
I do everything after the boys go to bed. But
I was praying. I said, Lord, I am so lonely.
Will you please send someone to my door? And
it was the most amazing thing. There was a knock
at the door a few minutes later, and it wasn't
my knight in shining armor. It was my friend,
Edith, who was next door. And she was just a
lovely older lady. And she came to the door and
we sat and we became the best of friends. And
I had the opportunity later on to lead her to
Christ. And so God just showed up in just amazing
ways. I was praying for a husband and my friends
were praying that God would give me a husband.
And I wanted my kids to have a dad. And so as
I prayed, My friend suggested that we go to this
Navigator meeting, which was a college ministry
meeting that was hosted by this Navigator group.
And Chip, my now husband, was leading that group.
And so it was a Bible study. It was singing and
worship, and it was just for college kids. But
I went, and I went just to meet him because my
friend was telling me about him. And so I went
to meet him. And I did. I saw him, and I was
really, really attracted to him. And I thought,
oh, maybe he's the one. Maybe he's the one God
has sent here for me because I haven't met anyone
else. Literally the only one. The only one. And
so the next week, I thought, well, I'm going
to go back. Because who knows what God is doing.
And I really believed in the power of prayer.
And so I took my little boys with me. So they
were babies. They were like two years old. And
I took them in their little pajamas with feet
on. I mean, you know, that have the feet. And
so we walk in this rally with all these college
kids. And, you know, I just sat down and act
like I'm a part of it. And had these two little
boys. I thought if he's the one that God has
for me, he needs to know I have kids. And so
then he didn't pay much attention to me. I think
he might have, you know, said hi or something,
but he didn't particularly notice me. And so
I went home that night, and I was so distraught
again. And I thought, I'm not going back there.
And that was the first time in my life I surrendered.
something to God, and I remember sitting on my
bed that night, and I just put out my hands,
and I said, Lord, I'm not going back there, and
if he's the one you've brought here for me, and
see, I still was thinking that, then you bring
him to me. I'm not going to do anything. If you
want him to come to me, you bring him to me,
and so, you know, a few weeks went by, and nothing
happened, and I Just thought, well, you know,
nothing is going to happen. But then one night,
Chip called me. And he had been thinking about
me this whole time. And he went through the pages
of the, they had a roster where people that would
come would put their names and their telephone
numbers just so they could keep track of who
was coming. And he flipped through the pages
until he found my name. And he called me. And
that was the beginning. I was in shock. And that
was the beginning of a relationship that grew
into just what we've shared for the last 43 years.
And then he became the father of my children.
And then we had two more children. And that was
just one of the most amazing answers to prayer
that I ever had. You were speaking about... prayer.
And I just can tell you that my mom is a prayer
warrior. And one of my fond memories growing
up as a kid is I would wake up in the early mornings,
you know, to go use the bathroom. And she would
always be up and she'd be on the couch and the
lamp would be on and she'd have a hot cup of
coffee and she'd just spend hours in the morning
with Jesus. And, you know, it's been said that
God doesn't have favorites, but he has intimates.
And you are an intimate. And I think that model
for me, it was always so powerful in a picture.
Sorry, I don't mean to make you cry. And I love
the Psalm, Psalm 73, where it says, but as for
me, the nearness of God is my good. And then
when it's talking about the goodness of God,
you see this repeated, is that when you really
believe that God is good, you make him your refuge.
You make him, he is the true safe harbor. And
so instead of trying to navigate on your own,
you run to him. And I think that's the story
that I've seen over and over is that the nearness
of God is your good and you've made him your
refuge just because you've learned. That intimacy
with Jesus. How did that foster? How did that
develop? I think it happened because I was desperate.
And I needed God. At a time when I felt like
I had nothing to give, that he came to me. And
I learned that I could pour out my heart to him.
And he carried me through. all kinds of trials
of life, and we all have those. But he's with
us all the time, and he cares. And I've learned
that he listens. He cares about what we say.
He cares about what we think. And he wants to
hear us. He wants us to talk with him, and he
wants to speak to us through his word and through
nature. through people, and he speaks to us in
many ways to give us hope and encouragement.
And so I think I was really blessed that it was
through difficulty that I came to know the Lord
because I realized that he was all that I needed.
And one thing I've always thought about is when
you realize that God is all you have, then you
realize that he's all you need. in whatever situation
that you're going through. So that's how it all
started. And then the hunger, you know, for God's
word, as we're in his word, that hunger develops
and you develop a relationship with him. And
it's a treasure, those treasured times to be
able to spend in God's word and prayer. And when
I was a single mom and I was hurting so badly
and I was learning to pray, When I would come
home from work, the first thing I would do, because
I was hurting so much, and I had read in the
Bible that, well, you don't have to do this,
but I thought you did, that you go into your
closet and pray. I took it all literally. And
so I would run into my little closet. There was
hardly room for me to get in it. It was so tiny.
But I ran in there, and I'd get on my knees,
and I would just pour out my heart to God. And
he met me. And I've spent my life, fortunately,
with a wonderful husband to be able to express
to other people that God has the same for you.
That when you cry out to him, he will meet you
in your need. Doesn't mean everything will change,
but he's with you and he gives you all that you
need in that moment. So I think for me, God became
so real that... It was like he was my friend
walking beside me. And I just, as we're talking
about the goodness of God, that verse that most
of us know is that all things work together for
good to those who love him. And I can verify
that, that we may not see it all in this life,
but whatever we go through, that God is working
for good in our lives. insightful end to this
edition of Living on the Edge. Our guests today
were Ryan Ingram and his mom, Teresa. And if
you'd like to learn more about Teresa's resources
that were mentioned today, go to livingontheedge
.org and search for Precious in His Sight. You'll
find her book, the broadcast series she taught,
and her affirmation cards, which is a helpful
tool packed with daily biblical encouragement.
Learn more about these resources when you go
to livingontheedge .org and search for Precious
in his site. Well, from all of us here, I'm Dave
Drewy, thanking you for listening to this edition
of Living on the Edge, and I hope you'll join
us again next time.