Darkness to Light Testimony

Written by Joy Michelle Austin

When I turned thirty, I thought I would be “30, flirty, and thriving.” Instead, I found myself in a medical desert that would stretch across nearly a decade. Disability changed my days, my plans, and the way I saw my life. I kept wondering: How could I be in my thirties, living back at home, single, childless, and unable even to hold a dinner fork?

Most days, darkness felt louder than faith. I prayed, questioned, grieved, yelled, and struggled just to make it through one minute at a time. I did not always feel strong. I certainly did not always have the right words. But even when I could not see the road ahead, God was there.

Just before turning forty, I could miraculously use my hands again without pain or assistance and discovered I still had dreams! While I had been struggling to see past the darkness, God had been faithfully planting seeds and watering my soul.