Sydney's Story

He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” Moses said these words to remind the Jewish people that God was always with them during their desert journey. These words also remind me to focus on God’s wonders when I look back over hard times.

About ten years ago, my reality changed drastically. First, I learned my sister had been molested and abused in our family when she was very young. Then a few months later, I learned that at least one of my daughters may have been molested too; later, she became a victim of rape. These realizations shattered my history of the home I grew up in and the careful way I had raised my children.

Around that same time, my other daughter was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Then my husband lost his job, and I bottomed out in a severe depression.
I felt like I was in a soul-parching desert.

But God was there, too. He had given us a home fellowship group that supplied life-sustaining support through prayer and friendship. He led me to friends, counselors, psychiatrists, and life-changing medications. My husband got a new job. God was so real in my life that I heard the words he spoke to me; I felt him touch my hand. These awesome wonders kept me going as the hard times kept coming.

Our family ran into financial difficulties, so we downsized to a condo. Then my marriage fell apart. I wouldn’t have made it except for my home fellowship group who prayed and supported me, and for God’s presence in my life. One day I got an unexpected phone call from UCSD, inviting me to interview for a job I hadn’t even applied for! The job was clearly a gift from God.

God’s blessings were even bigger than I realized. My new job came with outstanding health benefits. Good thing, because about a year after I started working there, an MRI revealed that I had a small brain tumor. I went through radiation treatment, then had three surgeries over the next two years. God was constantly with me through his Word, the church, and loving Christian friendships.

Today I’m part of a discipleship group at Clairemont Covenant. The members of this group encourage me, learn with me, and challenge me to grow in God’s ways. It’s astounding to experience God’s answers to our prayers and to see the changes in our lives. Looking back on some of my desert days, the pain and hurt fade away, overshadowed by God’s awesome wonders that I saw with my own eyes.
 

Sydney's Story

He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” Moses said these words to remind the Jewish people that God was always with them during their desert journey. These words also remind me to focus on God’s wonders when I look back over hard times.

About ten years ago, my reality changed drastically. First, I learned my sister had been molested and abused in our family when she was very young. Then a few months later, I learned that at least one of my daughters may have been molested too; later, she became a victim of rape. These realizations shattered my history of the home I grew up in and the careful way I had raised my children.

Around that same time, my other daughter was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Then my husband lost his job, and I bottomed out in a severe depression.
I felt like I was in a soul-parching desert.

But God was there, too. He had given us a home fellowship group that supplied life-sustaining support through prayer and friendship. He led me to friends, counselors, psychiatrists, and life-changing medications. My husband got a new job. God was so real in my life that I heard the words he spoke to me; I felt him touch my hand. These awesome wonders kept me going as the hard times kept coming.

Our family ran into financial difficulties, so we downsized to a condo. Then my marriage fell apart. I wouldn’t have made it except for my home fellowship group who prayed and supported me, and for God’s presence in my life. One day I got an unexpected phone call from UCSD, inviting me to interview for a job I hadn’t even applied for! The job was clearly a gift from God.

God’s blessings were even bigger than I realized. My new job came with outstanding health benefits. Good thing, because about a year after I started working there, an MRI revealed that I had a small brain tumor. I went through radiation treatment, then had three surgeries over the next two years. God was constantly with me through his Word, the church, and loving Christian friendships.

Today I’m part of a discipleship group at Clairemont Covenant. The members of this group encourage me, learn with me, and challenge me to grow in God’s ways. It’s astounding to experience God’s answers to our prayers and to see the changes in our lives. Looking back on some of my desert days, the pain and hurt fade away, overshadowed by God’s awesome wonders that I saw with my own eyes.