Jenna’s Testimony
Whether it’s through forced smiles during a workout, in the car with the windows down and the music blaring, laughing in the kitchen while making heart-shaped pizzas, crying in each other’s arms during small group, or parked in front of McDonald’s with ice cream in hand, Jenna is the faithful friend that is by my side in every season, every circumstance, every emotion. We can hunker down in a deep conversation that requires our full attention but we can also laugh and dance like there’s not a care in the world.
Jenna, your friendship is a rare treasure. Knowing that I have you “through thick and thin” is not some cheesy social media caption, but is a phrase that defines your steadfast heart to stand by your people. I love you! -Ella
I have always grown up surrounded by church and the belief that Jesus died on the cross for me and I was saved. But as a kid I had a lot of difficulties that were not understood by my friends or my teachers that I had around me. My parents got a divorce when I was ten and, at the time, I couldn’t recover from the fact that my parents weren’t ever going to be together anymore. I had two older brothers yet there was never a time for us to bond like normal siblings would. Ultimately, I grew up alone and afraid of what my future would hold.
During my junior and senior years of high school, I hit rock bottom and hated who I was and where I was headed. I lost my friends, my brothers, my family, my love for dance, and everything just crumbled in front of me. The only thing I knew to do was to chase after God like I never had before. The Freedom small group I was a part of is what changed my life. It led me to find my best friends in the whole world and allowed me to surrender what I was holding onto by my own strength. During this time, my biggest prayer was that the Lord would plant me at whatever college I was supposed to be at and that I would find peace in the process of getting there. It wasn’t until I decided that the University of Mobile was going to be my home that I had realized how long God had been working out those plans for me. Everything lined up so perfectly and I just couldn’t deny that this was where I was supposed to be to live out my God-given purpose. Although that waiting season was hard and often felt like the Lord wasn’t there, I wouldn’t trade it for the world because it ended up being so sweet and so fruitful.
Ruth 2:9 says, “See which field they are harvesting and follow them…” This really spoke to me because I can now look back on that season and see that I was planting myself somewhere fruitful, alive, and centered on Christ, which is why I am so close to those friends today. I’ve learned the importance of harvesting where there’s life in Jesus, for harvesting where it’s dead cannot produce anything life-giving. My testimony is this… the troubles and trials that you go through in your life do not define who you are in the future. The Lord walked me through every trial and grew me in ways I could have never imagined. I matured faster, I grew in my faith, and I ultimately found peace in knowing that who I am is enough. If I had never gone through what I was intended to walk through in the beginning of my story with Jesus, then I would have never gotten to know Ella, Kirsten, Kendall, Rylie, Aspen, Crystal and so many more. I lean on the Lord, trust in Him, and acknowledge that, from earth, I can’t see the bigger picture, but my Creator and Father in Heaven does. He saved me and He is all I need to live out my God-given purpose.