WEBVTT 00:00:11.820 --> 00:00:14.720 really believe that God is good? I mean, that 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:17.800 he has your best interest in mind? I mean, even 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:20.920 when circumstances and relationships are really, 00:00:21.019 --> 00:00:24.339 really hard? Well, stay with me. You won't want 00:00:24.339 --> 00:00:29.140 to miss today's message. Welcome to this weekend 00:00:29.140 --> 00:00:31.839 edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:34.799 Our mission is to inspire Christians to be genuine 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:37.380 followers of Jesus and to empower them to be 00:00:37.380 --> 00:00:40.420 active disciple makers in our world. Well, have 00:00:40.420 --> 00:00:42.299 you ever found yourself wrestling with a challenging 00:00:42.299 --> 00:00:45.520 question Chip posed? Perhaps you faced a painful 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.340 experience in the past or are enduring one right 00:00:48.340 --> 00:00:51.420 now, which has caused you to ask, God, why me? 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:53.920 Or where are you? Well, if you've been there, 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:56.460 this broadcast will encourage you. Today, we're 00:00:56.460 --> 00:00:58.979 re -airing Chip's wife, Teresa Ingram's powerful 00:00:58.979 --> 00:01:02.100 testimony from this past week. Now, some of you 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:04.239 may have heard bits and pieces of her story before, 00:01:04.379 --> 00:01:06.950 but this program is different. A few years ago, 00:01:07.010 --> 00:01:09.609 she sat down with her son, Ryan Ingram, at his 00:01:09.609 --> 00:01:12.209 church in San Jose, California, and shared her 00:01:12.209 --> 00:01:14.670 entire testimony in a genuine and vulnerable 00:01:14.670 --> 00:01:17.189 way. So I think what you're about to hear will 00:01:17.189 --> 00:01:20.549 deeply inspire your soul. So without any further 00:01:20.549 --> 00:01:23.310 delay, let's dive into today's program, Beauty 00:01:23.310 --> 00:01:29.519 from Ashes. You know, As I was studying and wrestling 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:31.980 with the goodness of God, I was talking to a 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:35.359 friend and she said, you know, yes, God is good 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:37.939 even when all evidence points to the contrary. 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:41.019 A .W. Tozer in his classic Knowledge of the Holy, 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:43.359 we've been traveling through that, writes this, 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:46.640 the goodness of God is that which disposes him 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:50.799 to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:53.900 goodwill toward men. He is tenderhearted and 00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:57.319 of quick sympathy. By his nature, he is inclined 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:00.920 to bestow blessedness, and he takes holy pleasure 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:04.980 in the happiness of his people. I asked my mom 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:06.980 to join me, which is really fun. And mom, why 00:02:06.980 --> 00:02:10.280 don't you come on out today? This is the first 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:12.280 time we've ever gotten to share a stage. Thank 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:16.520 you for welcoming her. I have this. You can go 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:22.180 ahead and grab a seat. A major reason was, as 00:02:22.180 --> 00:02:25.770 I thought about the goodness of God, While all 00:02:25.770 --> 00:02:29.389 evidence points to the contrary, you can look 00:02:29.389 --> 00:02:33.330 back at your life right now and go, wow, God 00:02:33.330 --> 00:02:36.750 has been so good. Four amazing kids, I might 00:02:36.750 --> 00:02:41.469 add, that you had. All married. One in particular 00:02:41.469 --> 00:02:48.710 is really great. Annie, the daughter. You have 00:02:48.710 --> 00:02:52.870 12 grandkids. God's using your life. And yet. 00:02:53.930 --> 00:02:57.689 The beginning of your story, I would say all 00:02:57.689 --> 00:03:01.189 evidence pointed to the contrary. Yes. And I 00:03:01.189 --> 00:03:03.210 would love just for you to share your story. 00:03:03.250 --> 00:03:06.030 How did you come to know Jesus? What was a little 00:03:06.030 --> 00:03:10.229 bit of your background? Well, my life has been 00:03:10.229 --> 00:03:13.969 really interesting, and it certainly is a lot 00:03:13.969 --> 00:03:17.050 different than I thought it would be. I grew 00:03:17.050 --> 00:03:21.090 up in a very small rural area in West Virginia. 00:03:22.270 --> 00:03:26.009 My mother didn't drive, so we were stuck at home 00:03:26.009 --> 00:03:30.469 all the time, and she was a fearful person. She 00:03:30.469 --> 00:03:32.969 was very quiet. She didn't talk very much, and 00:03:32.969 --> 00:03:35.289 she was afraid to go out and do things. In fact, 00:03:35.389 --> 00:03:38.729 she would send me, when I was old enough, to 00:03:38.729 --> 00:03:40.610 go and do some of the things that she didn't 00:03:40.610 --> 00:03:44.430 want to do. So she was, she's a sweet, a sweet 00:03:44.430 --> 00:03:49.409 mom, and I love her dearly, but she really never 00:03:49.409 --> 00:03:56.500 expressed to us. outwardly in her words or with 00:03:56.500 --> 00:04:01.780 hugs that she loved us. And I'm not sure why, 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:04.580 because I knew that she did because of the way 00:04:04.580 --> 00:04:08.639 she took care of us. And my dad, it was a totally 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:14.099 different story. My dad was an alcoholic. I would 00:04:14.099 --> 00:04:17.040 see him drinking as soon as he got up in the 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:19.560 morning. Every morning he had to have a drink 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:26.509 to start the day. He was very strict with all 00:04:26.509 --> 00:04:29.290 of us. There were three girls in our family, 00:04:29.310 --> 00:04:32.889 and he was very strict. I went through high school 00:04:32.889 --> 00:04:37.069 and under such a strict father who I was terribly 00:04:37.069 --> 00:04:40.269 afraid of because he would punish us over the 00:04:40.269 --> 00:04:42.730 least little thing we did wrong. We felt like 00:04:42.730 --> 00:04:45.689 we had to be perfect all the time, and I couldn't 00:04:45.689 --> 00:04:49.300 be. No one can be. And so when I graduated from 00:04:49.300 --> 00:04:52.560 high school, the first thing that I wanted to 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:55.600 do was get away from there. I really rebelled 00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:00.279 in my heart. I wanted more, and I knew that there 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:03.600 was more out there for me, but I couldn't find 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:07.079 it where I was. And so I fought with my dad that 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:10.720 he would allow me to go to college. And so I 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:14.060 won, and I got to go to Fairmont State College. 00:05:14.860 --> 00:05:17.980 And while I was there, I started dating a young 00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:22.019 man who loved me, or I thought who loved me. 00:05:22.459 --> 00:05:27.660 And he was what I built my whole life upon at 00:05:27.660 --> 00:05:31.459 that time. But after we got married, I worked 00:05:31.459 --> 00:05:34.379 and he finished college. He finished college 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:39.379 and he got a job right away. And I had gotten 00:05:39.379 --> 00:05:43.149 pregnant. And about three months after he graduated 00:05:43.149 --> 00:05:47.529 from college, we had twin boys. But my husband 00:05:47.529 --> 00:05:53.829 just was so self -centered. He was so into his 00:05:53.829 --> 00:05:57.189 life, what he wanted, what would make him happy. 00:05:57.509 --> 00:06:03.170 And he became very involved in alcohol, just 00:06:03.170 --> 00:06:07.589 like my dad. And he became involved in some drugs. 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:11.199 And partying a lot. And he started going out 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:16.199 at night and partying with friends. And I didn't 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:21.959 feel like he really was taking care of us or 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:26.439 that he cared about us. But my dreams were still, 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:29.660 oh, this is going to change. We're just in this 00:06:29.660 --> 00:06:31.720 new season and it's going to change and everything's 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.639 going to be great. Well, I found out that it 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:38.209 wasn't going to be great. When my little boys 00:06:38.209 --> 00:06:41.610 were about six months old, he packed his bags, 00:06:41.730 --> 00:06:44.310 took everything out of his closet, and he left 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:49.589 us. He had gotten involved with another woman, 00:06:49.670 --> 00:06:52.990 and I found out. He had been lying to me, and 00:06:52.990 --> 00:06:56.910 I found out, and I confronted him with it, and 00:06:56.910 --> 00:07:02.189 he just left. And it was just really difficult. 00:07:02.209 --> 00:07:08.870 I was devastated. My heart was broken, and I 00:07:08.870 --> 00:07:13.430 felt like my life was over. I don't have a life 00:07:13.430 --> 00:07:17.329 anymore. And I became really, really depressed, 00:07:17.810 --> 00:07:22.709 very discouraged. But I look back now, and I 00:07:22.709 --> 00:07:28.129 see God was at work, and he was searching for 00:07:28.129 --> 00:07:33.329 me and calling me all that time. So I went back 00:07:33.329 --> 00:07:36.459 up to the college. And they had a job opening 00:07:36.459 --> 00:07:39.500 and I took it and I was able to find childcare 00:07:39.500 --> 00:07:42.879 for my little boys because I had to work. I had 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:46.339 no money. I didn't have family that could help 00:07:46.339 --> 00:07:50.120 me in that way. And so I went back and I ended 00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:52.699 up working with the director of admissions at 00:07:52.699 --> 00:07:56.620 this college. And he was a godly man. He loved 00:07:56.620 --> 00:08:00.240 the Lord. And I knew nothing about, I knew the 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:05.069 little stories about Jesus. from going to Sunday 00:08:05.069 --> 00:08:07.670 school, but I'd never read the Bible. I knew 00:08:07.670 --> 00:08:09.829 nothing about the Lord. I didn't even know what 00:08:09.829 --> 00:08:14.709 being saved meant. And I went to work and I wanted 00:08:14.709 --> 00:08:17.509 to be strong and I didn't share anything to anyone 00:08:17.509 --> 00:08:20.610 about what was going on in my life because I 00:08:20.610 --> 00:08:24.589 guess I was too proud. I didn't want people to 00:08:24.589 --> 00:08:28.269 know that my life was falling apart. So I would 00:08:28.269 --> 00:08:31.170 go in his office and one day he asked me how 00:08:31.170 --> 00:08:34.129 I was doing. And I just started crying right 00:08:34.129 --> 00:08:36.289 in front of him. I thought, this is terrible. 00:08:36.490 --> 00:08:39.110 Just boo -hooing right in front of your boss. 00:08:39.769 --> 00:08:46.669 And he was so, so loving. And every day after 00:08:46.669 --> 00:08:49.809 that, when I would go in, he would tell me about 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:56.409 the love of God. And I heard it over and over. 00:08:57.899 --> 00:09:01.120 He was a lay preacher sometimes at a free Methodist 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:03.940 church, and he would go around to some of these 00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:05.779 little churches when they needed a pastor, and 00:09:05.779 --> 00:09:07.580 he would preach. And he was preaching at this 00:09:07.580 --> 00:09:10.960 little church out in the country, and he asked 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:14.019 me, he and his wife asked me if I would go with 00:09:14.019 --> 00:09:16.919 them. So we went to church, and I sat through 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.399 this church service. It was just a typical free 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:23.830 Methodist church service. And my friend... gave 00:09:23.830 --> 00:09:26.649 the message, they sang hymns, they prayed, and 00:09:26.649 --> 00:09:31.850 nothing happened. And I was distraught. I just 00:09:31.850 --> 00:09:33.970 remember walking out of that building thinking, 00:09:34.110 --> 00:09:38.710 this isn't real. There really isn't a God. And 00:09:38.710 --> 00:09:42.590 as I was out getting in the car, putting the 00:09:42.590 --> 00:09:46.690 boys in the car seats, and a little old lady 00:09:46.690 --> 00:09:49.450 out in the parking lot, and I didn't know any 00:09:49.450 --> 00:09:52.490 of these people, she came up to me and just said, 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:55.720 do you want to be saved? And I didn't know what 00:09:55.720 --> 00:10:01.879 saved meant, but I said yes. And it was, to me, 00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:05.039 it's a miracle. She didn't know what was going 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.740 on in my life, and God just led her to do that. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:11.240 And so I went back into the church, and everybody 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:13.980 in the parking lot got out of their cars and 00:10:13.980 --> 00:10:16.220 went back in the church and went to the altar 00:10:16.220 --> 00:10:20.399 with me, and we prayed, and I came to know Jesus. 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:26.419 that night as my savior. To me, it's just a miracle 00:10:26.419 --> 00:10:32.879 of the Lord that he would choose me. And it's 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:35.600 even more of a miracle that I'm up here on this 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:40.639 stage and my son is sitting right here. But that's 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:45.289 what my... early days were like? You know, one 00:10:45.289 --> 00:10:48.110 of the Psalms as we're talking about the goodness 00:10:48.110 --> 00:10:50.830 of God is taste and see that the Lord is good. 00:10:51.190 --> 00:10:54.230 Psalm 34a, blessed is the one who takes refuge. 00:10:55.179 --> 00:10:58.899 and him. How in those early days and early years 00:10:58.899 --> 00:11:02.399 did you begin to taste and see that the Lord 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:03.980 is good? You know, we're going to sing a song 00:11:03.980 --> 00:11:07.159 after this that says you keep on getting better. 00:11:07.299 --> 00:11:09.080 And it's not that God's getting better. We've 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:11.299 talked about this, but the more you get to know 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:15.559 God and his goodness, the better he becomes to 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:18.139 you because you're experiencing more fully who 00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:21.200 he is. How did you begin to taste and see his 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:23.379 goodness through those next years? I have to 00:11:23.379 --> 00:11:26.980 say it's a slow process, but also for some it's 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:30.259 a fast process. And I began real slowly, but 00:11:30.259 --> 00:11:36.019 when I really grasped who God is, then that was 00:11:36.019 --> 00:11:40.840 all I needed. I really grew spiritually during 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:44.639 that time, but I have to say it was people in 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:49.360 my life that helped me. It was my friends who 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:52.279 helped lead me to Christ, who encouraged me to 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:54.690 go to church. They encouraged me to get in the 00:11:54.690 --> 00:11:59.830 Word, and they helped me. They brought things 00:11:59.830 --> 00:12:04.269 that I needed, brought food, took care of helping 00:12:04.269 --> 00:12:07.830 with my kids. It was people. It was the body 00:12:07.830 --> 00:12:11.350 of Christ who really loved me that got me off 00:12:11.350 --> 00:12:16.210 in a good way. And just having that reminder, 00:12:16.389 --> 00:12:19.309 even when I didn't want to go to church, having 00:12:19.309 --> 00:12:23.200 that reminder of someone. calling and saying 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:27.460 you know we'll pick you up we'll we'll help you 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:30.299 but we just want you to be there and so that 00:12:30.299 --> 00:12:32.700 would that I would say that was number one and 00:12:32.700 --> 00:12:35.960 then I learned to get in the word of God which 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:41.399 was you know God God says that that his word 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:45.980 is a refuge that he is a refuge and his word 00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:49.779 is gives us strength and his word gives us hope 00:12:49.779 --> 00:12:54.679 and gives us direction. And as I get in the word 00:12:54.679 --> 00:13:01.340 of God, it was like a light went on. When you 00:13:01.340 --> 00:13:04.940 come to Christ and you're saved, you have the 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:08.460 Holy Spirit. We have Christ living in us. And 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:12.039 it was like my eyes were opened. And when I read 00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:15.960 the Bible, it would just jump off the page. And 00:13:15.960 --> 00:13:19.240 God would speak to me. And it was such a precious 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:22.779 time for me, especially in those years of being 00:13:22.779 --> 00:13:25.460 a single mom and just feeling alone and feeling 00:13:25.460 --> 00:13:31.500 desperate. God's Word was my delight. And I'm 00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:34.940 very thankful that I learned. Even the people 00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:39.019 that helped me just to get going in my Christian 00:13:39.019 --> 00:13:41.559 life helped me to get in the Word. And they spent 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:45.500 time with me and they taught me. And I'm very 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:48.360 grateful for that. And I learned how to pray, 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:51.120 the same people. I went through a prayer class 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:54.279 early on, very early in my Christian life with 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:56.860 a group of five ladies in the basement of a free 00:13:56.860 --> 00:14:00.840 Methodist church. And I learned to believe. As 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:03.779 I watched them pray and I shared my very first 00:14:03.779 --> 00:14:08.019 prayer request, these ladies believed. They believed 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:11.500 that when you pray, God is going to answer. And 00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:15.210 he did. And so that was my first introduction 00:14:15.210 --> 00:14:17.549 to prayer, which has carried me through my whole 00:14:17.549 --> 00:14:22.950 life. Another thing that really helped me was 00:14:22.950 --> 00:14:28.590 God just kept showing up. As I was in the Word, 00:14:28.830 --> 00:14:31.629 as I would cry out to Him, He just kept showing 00:14:31.629 --> 00:14:35.990 up all over the place. I just remember a time 00:14:35.990 --> 00:14:39.000 that... I had a car that broke down all the time 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:41.539 and I was driving along and I had the boys in 00:14:41.539 --> 00:14:45.120 the back seat and my car broke down and I never 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.980 knew what to do. And there just happened to be 00:14:47.980 --> 00:14:51.019 a mechanic right behind me. And he got out of 00:14:51.019 --> 00:14:54.759 his car and helped fix my car and get me back 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:58.679 on the road. And another time, I was so lonely 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:03.320 on the weekends. I had too much time to myself, 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:06.600 and I liked being busy. I could get through the 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:08.320 weeks, but the weekends were really hard. And 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:10.679 I was sitting on the floor in the living room 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:15.120 one time. I do everything after the boys go to 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:20.379 bed. But I was praying. I said, Lord, I am so 00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:25.240 lonely. Will you please send someone to my door? 00:15:26.779 --> 00:15:31.379 And it was the most amazing thing. There was 00:15:31.379 --> 00:15:34.740 a knock at the door a few minutes later, and 00:15:34.740 --> 00:15:39.159 it wasn't my knight in shining armor. It was 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:43.559 my friend, Edith, who was next door. And she 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:47.500 was just a lovely older lady. And she came to 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:49.440 the door, and we sat, and we became the best 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:52.399 of friends. And I had the opportunity later on 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:56.480 to lead her to Christ. And so God just showed 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.779 up in just amazing ways. I was praying for a 00:16:00.779 --> 00:16:03.879 husband, and my friends were praying that God 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:07.419 would give me a husband. And I wanted my kids 00:16:07.419 --> 00:16:12.820 to have a dad. And so as I prayed, my friend 00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:16.539 suggested that we go to this Navigator meeting, 00:16:16.659 --> 00:16:19.100 which was a college ministry meeting that was 00:16:19.100 --> 00:16:24.179 hosted by this Navigator group. And Chip, my 00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:27.799 now husband, was leading that group, and so it 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:30.279 was a Bible study. It was singing and worship, 00:16:30.460 --> 00:16:33.159 and it was just for college kids, but I went, 00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:37.860 and I went just to meet him because my friend 00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:40.940 was telling me about him, and so I went to meet 00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:44.759 him, and I did. I saw him, and I was really, 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:49.539 really attracted to him, and I thought, oh. Maybe 00:16:49.539 --> 00:16:53.120 he's the one. Maybe he's the one God has sent 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:55.500 here for me because I haven't met anyone else. 00:16:57.179 --> 00:17:04.339 Literally the only one. The only one. And so 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:08.319 the next week, I thought, well, I'm going to 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.420 go back because who knows what God is doing. 00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:14.839 And I really believed in the power of prayer. 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:17.940 And so I took my little boys with me. So they 00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:20.599 were babies. They were like two years old. And 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:23.400 I took them in their little pajamas with feet 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:26.819 on. I mean, you know, that have the feet. And 00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:30.859 so we walk in this rally with all these college 00:17:30.859 --> 00:17:33.839 kids. And, you know, I just sat down and act 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:36.240 like I'm a part of it and had these two little 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:41.299 boys. Because I thought if he's the one that's... 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:43.740 God has for me. He needs to know I have kids. 00:17:44.539 --> 00:17:47.740 And so then he didn't pay much attention to me. 00:17:47.779 --> 00:17:50.720 I think he might have, you know, said hi or something, 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:54.779 but he didn't particularly notice me. And so 00:17:54.779 --> 00:17:57.759 I went home that night and I was so distraught 00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:01.980 again. And I thought, I'm not going back there. 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:05.799 And that was the first time in my life I surrendered. 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:09.519 something to God and I remember sitting on my 00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:12.380 bed that night and I just put out my hands and 00:18:12.380 --> 00:18:17.279 I said Lord I'm not going back there and if he's 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:19.119 the one you've brought here for me and see I 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:22.200 still was thinking that then you bring him to 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:26.420 me I'm not going to do anything if you want him 00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:30.380 to come to me you bring him to me and so you 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:33.920 know a few weeks went by and nothing happened 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:38.940 and I Just thought, well, you know, nothing is 00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:42.480 going to happen. But then one night, Chip called 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.759 me. And he had been thinking about me this whole 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:50.680 time. And he went through the pages of the, they 00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:53.259 had a roster where people that would come would 00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:55.180 put their names and their telephone numbers just 00:18:55.180 --> 00:18:57.579 so they could keep track of who was coming. And 00:18:57.579 --> 00:18:59.619 he flipped through the pages until he found my 00:18:59.619 --> 00:19:03.279 name. And he called me. And that was the beginning. 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:07.519 I was in shock. And that was the beginning of 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:10.680 a relationship that we've shared for the last 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:15.140 43 years. And then he became the father of my 00:19:15.140 --> 00:19:17.640 children. And then we had two more children. 00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:21.880 And that was just one of the most amazing answers 00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:26.680 to prayer that I ever had. You were speaking 00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:29.859 about prayer. And I just can tell you that my 00:19:29.859 --> 00:19:35.539 mom is a prayer warrior. And one of my fond memories 00:19:35.539 --> 00:19:38.920 growing up as a kid is I would wake up in the 00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:41.140 early mornings, you know, to go use the bathroom. 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:46.859 And she would always be up and she'd be on the 00:19:46.859 --> 00:19:50.019 couch and the lamp would be on and she'd have 00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:53.779 a hot cup of coffee and she'd just spend hours 00:19:53.779 --> 00:19:58.019 in the morning with Jesus. And, you know, it's 00:19:58.019 --> 00:20:00.099 been said that God doesn't have favorites, but 00:20:00.099 --> 00:20:04.890 he has intimates. and you are an intimate. And 00:20:04.890 --> 00:20:08.529 I think that model, for me, it was always so 00:20:08.529 --> 00:20:11.130 powerful in a picture. Sorry, I don't mean to 00:20:11.130 --> 00:20:17.769 make you cry. And I love the Psalm, Psalm 73, 00:20:17.769 --> 00:20:19.950 where it says, but as for me, the nearness of 00:20:19.950 --> 00:20:23.609 God is my good. And then when it's talking about 00:20:23.609 --> 00:20:26.849 the goodness of God, you see this repeated, is 00:20:26.849 --> 00:20:29.250 that when you really believe that God is good, 00:20:29.329 --> 00:20:32.970 you make him your refuge. You make him, he is 00:20:32.970 --> 00:20:35.349 the true safe harbor. And so instead of trying 00:20:35.349 --> 00:20:40.130 to navigate on your own, you run to him. And 00:20:40.130 --> 00:20:42.470 I think that's the story that I've seen over 00:20:42.470 --> 00:20:45.589 and over is that the nearness of God is your 00:20:45.589 --> 00:20:49.890 good and you've made him your refuge just because 00:20:49.890 --> 00:20:54.170 you've learned that intimacy with Jesus. How 00:20:54.170 --> 00:20:57.750 did that foster? How did that develop? I think. 00:20:58.519 --> 00:21:01.559 I think it happened because I was desperate and 00:21:01.559 --> 00:21:07.500 I needed God. At a time when I felt like I had 00:21:07.500 --> 00:21:15.380 nothing to give, that he came to me. And I learned 00:21:15.380 --> 00:21:18.900 that I could pour out my heart to him. And he's 00:21:18.900 --> 00:21:23.380 carried me through all kinds of trials of life, 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:29.009 and we all have those. But he's with us all the 00:21:29.009 --> 00:21:31.930 time. And he cares. And I've learned that he 00:21:31.930 --> 00:21:35.349 listens. He cares about what we say. He cares 00:21:35.349 --> 00:21:39.630 about what we think. And he wants to hear us. 00:21:39.990 --> 00:21:42.809 He wants us to talk with him. And he wants to 00:21:42.809 --> 00:21:45.710 speak to us through his word and through nature 00:21:45.710 --> 00:21:49.109 and through people. And he speaks to us in many 00:21:49.109 --> 00:21:53.009 ways to give us hope and encouragement. And so... 00:21:53.609 --> 00:21:57.430 I think I was really blessed that it was through 00:21:57.430 --> 00:22:00.230 difficulty that I came to know the Lord because 00:22:00.230 --> 00:22:04.130 I realized that he was all that I needed. And 00:22:04.130 --> 00:22:07.549 one thing I've always thought about is when you 00:22:07.549 --> 00:22:12.109 realize that God is all you have, then you realize 00:22:12.109 --> 00:22:15.410 that he's all you need in whatever situation 00:22:15.410 --> 00:22:20.230 that you're going through. That's how it all 00:22:20.230 --> 00:22:23.150 started, and then the hunger for God's Word. 00:22:23.250 --> 00:22:25.569 As we're in His Word, that hunger develops, and 00:22:25.569 --> 00:22:30.269 you develop a relationship with Him. It's a treasure, 00:22:30.509 --> 00:22:33.589 those treasured times to be able to spend in 00:22:33.589 --> 00:22:38.710 God's Word and prayer. When I was a single mom 00:22:38.710 --> 00:22:41.670 and I was hurting so badly and I was learning 00:22:41.670 --> 00:22:45.069 to pray, when I would come home from work, the 00:22:45.069 --> 00:22:46.910 first thing I would do, because I was hurting 00:22:46.910 --> 00:22:51.509 so much, And I had read in the Bible that, well, 00:22:51.630 --> 00:22:53.569 you don't have to do this, but I thought you 00:22:53.569 --> 00:22:57.609 did, that you go into your closet and pray. I 00:22:57.609 --> 00:23:01.849 took it all literally. And so I would run into 00:23:01.849 --> 00:23:04.150 my little closet. There was hardly room for me 00:23:04.150 --> 00:23:07.430 to get in it. It was so tiny. But I ran in there 00:23:07.430 --> 00:23:09.450 and I'd get on my knees and I'd just pour out 00:23:09.450 --> 00:23:14.490 my heart to God. And he met me. And I've spent 00:23:14.490 --> 00:23:17.890 my life, fortunately, with a wonderful husband. 00:23:18.670 --> 00:23:22.150 to be able to express to other people that God 00:23:22.150 --> 00:23:25.430 has the same for you, that when you cry out to 00:23:25.430 --> 00:23:29.789 him, he will meet you in your need. It doesn't 00:23:29.789 --> 00:23:33.089 mean everything will change, but he's with you, 00:23:33.130 --> 00:23:35.390 and he gives you all that you need in that moment. 00:23:35.990 --> 00:23:40.430 So I think for me, God became so real that it 00:23:40.430 --> 00:23:44.869 was like he was my friend walking beside me. 00:23:46.670 --> 00:23:48.529 I just, as we're talking about the goodness of 00:23:48.529 --> 00:23:52.210 God, that verse that most of us know is that 00:23:52.210 --> 00:23:54.849 all things work together for good to those who 00:23:54.849 --> 00:23:57.970 love Him. And I can verify that, that we may 00:23:57.970 --> 00:24:00.910 not see it all in this life, but whatever we 00:24:00.910 --> 00:24:04.029 go through, that God is working for good in our 00:24:04.029 --> 00:24:11.170 lives. An insightful end to this edition of Living 00:24:11.170 --> 00:24:14.609 on the Edge. Our guests today were Ryan Ingram 00:24:14.609 --> 00:24:17.500 and his mom, Teresa. And if you'd like to learn 00:24:17.500 --> 00:24:19.680 more about Teresa's resources that were mentioned 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:22.940 today, go to livingontheedge .org and search 00:24:22.940 --> 00:24:26.119 for Precious in His Site. You'll find her book, 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:29.180 the broadcast series she taught, and her affirmation 00:24:29.180 --> 00:24:32.039 cards, which is a helpful tool packed with daily 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:34.640 biblical encouragement. Learn more about these 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:37.940 resources when you go to livingontheedge .org 00:24:37.940 --> 00:24:42.059 and search for Precious in His Site. Well, from 00:24:42.059 --> 00:24:44.259 all of us here, I'm Dave Drewy, thanking you 00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:46.579 for listening to this weekend edition of Living 00:24:46.579 --> 00:24:48.940 on the Edge, and I hope you'll join us again 00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:49.519 next time.