I want to thank Pastor Dewey Moede for the invitation to come share my testimony at the Harvest of Hope Revival in Edgewood, NM, last weekend. And I want to thank Kelly & Glenn Snelgrove for the fine hospitality and organizing the event.
Though I live in Texas, I have a love for New Mexico. That’s where I first met Jesus – in the piney woods at a church camp in Glorieta.
My testimony is not the typical testimony we often hear when we attend church, retreat, conference, or a revival.
We hear testimonies of overcoming all types of adversities—catastrophes such as rebuilding lives and homes after severe weather, defeating a chronic illness, or coming out of bankruptcy.
But I’m different. God even calls me peculiar. (Actually, the Word says all believers are a peculiar people!)
Yet, the testimony I’m called to share is how the Lord used my son’s imprisonment to set me and my family free.
That’s right. Incarceration led to freedom.
My son’s arrest and imprisonment caused him to seek the Lord and surrender his life to Christ. Though he lives in prison, his spirit is living in the freedom Jesus paid for him.
After my son’s arrest, the enemy trapped me into a spiritual prison of guilt, shame, depression, worry, despair, and anxiety. All that led to health issues and excess weight gain.
Though I suffered in a spiritual prison, Jesus never left me and continually wooed me out as I looked to Him instead of the circumstances.
Now that I’ve experienced freedom in Jesus and have been comforted, I’m called to comfort others.
Little by little, as the Lord leads me, I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone. I’ve found that other families who experienced a loved one going to prison are looking for hope.
So by the grace of God, Pastor Dewey’s invitation opened the door for me to share publicly once again. And each time I share publicly, the Lord pours out more boldness and courage for me to continue.
Not only that, it never fails that after I share I have others who share with me that they also have someone they love incarcerated or that they have been incarcerated. And a handful of folks who were there shared their personal stories with me.
And there’s one who said, “I’ve never thought about someone’s family when someone goes to prison. My eyes have been opened and I’ll have more compassion for them.”
Praise the Lord! Different people experienced freedom this past weekend. So yes, a message about incarceration is setting people free! To God be the glory!
Thank you Pastor Dewey, Kelly Snelgrove, and all the FGGAM team for the Edgewood Revival! The Spirit of the Lord showed up and set people free!
More about Shonda:
Click here to read Shonda’s inspirational posts on FGGAM.
Shonda Savage Whitworth is the founder and president of Fortress of Hope Ministries, Inc., offering hope to those whose lives have been impacted by incarceration.
Click here to learn more about Fortress of Hope Ministries.
Shonda connects with others through her personal experiences and testimony of God’s faithfulness in her life. You can read more stories about Shonda’s unexpected prison family journey on her blog at ShondaSavageWhitworth.com.
