Tell what He’s done for you. We sang this song at the church I grew up in during our Sunday night Testimony Services. One of the older saints would start the chorus, and we’d all join in. Congregation members would get up and testify, and when they finished, we’d sing the chorus again. It is a priceless call-and-response deeply embedded in my soul. That’s why I tell my stories out of obedience to God’s call in my heart. The call to be vulnerable in my sharing with you all.
This is my testimony: After I got out of the shower at the gym, tightly wrapped in my beach-sized towel, I noticed a forlorn-looking older woman sitting on the bench, head down, wringing her hands, waiting. A young woman came around the corner with bolt cutters, and the older woman stood up. She lost the key to her locker and needs the lock to be cut open. The young woman braced herself, gave it all she had, but couldn’t do it. She tried making adjustments with her hands, but attempt after attempt failed.
Do not Withhold Good
At that moment, I had a decision to make. I knew I could handle the task because I had done it before when my combination lock failed to work. I have no time to dress and make the task more convenient. So, I adjust my towel, pray it stays in place, and ask her if I can help. Concerned that pieces of the lock might become projectiles, I looked at the older woman and suggested she step back. My first attempt was unsuccessful.
When I realized I couldn’t do it with a hand on each handle, I put one handle against my hip and both hands on the other and used all the force I had left after my three-hour powerlifting workout. When the lock popped, the two pieces flew in different directions; there was a tiny flame and small puffs of smoke, and both women flinched and gasped in reaction. The older woman is grateful she can access her belongings, the young woman is grateful for the help, and I am extremely grateful that my towel didn’t fall off!
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. Pr. 3:27 NLT
As I tell my husband the story, I recount my first experience with bolt cutters at the gym. I also went to the front desk to ask for help; in my case, they gave me the bolt cutters, and I had to do it myself, but they sent someone to help this woman. My husband noted that it wasn’t a matter of not caring for me. They know their clients and whether or not they need assistance. Now I know that God wanted me to experience using the bolt cutters so that I could help these women when the situation arose.
Our Testimonies
If I had not had a personal experience with the bolt cutters, I might’ve minded my own business, gotten dressed, and gone about my day. Rahab heard the testimonies about God and hid the spies. As for me, listening to testimonies during my formative years in that small church on Ninth Street, I learned not to withhold good. What has He done for you? And what have you done because of someone else’s testimony? I’d love to hear from you!
*For those of you who prayer walk, meditate on the phrase ‘tell what He’s done’ as you walk this week.