Elizabeth L.

Today, Elizabeth speaks to us about healing from difficult childhood moments (and how her family healed), God’s strength in a heartbreaking season (thank you for your vulnerability, Elizabeth), and a book everyone should read. We are honored to share this powerful testimony with you.

Tell us a bit about how you grew up and your childhood: I grew up in a Christian homeschool family with two sisters and a brother, with my mom at home with us. I was born and raised in Minnesota and loved being able to be outdoors as much as possible. I have always been very close to my siblings. As the main provider for our family, my dad was not all that present. He had his own battles he was going through that would eventually come to light and majorly affect all of us. When I look back at my childhood now I remember a lot of fun memories, but I can see where my anxiety and depression affected me as a little girl as well. 

Inspiring Biblical passage of the moment: My life verse has been Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” It is a constant, encouraging reminder to me that God is the only place where I can find true joy and satisfaction. 

Spiritual growth focus at the moment: Right now, I am trying to grow in my trust of God’s timing and plan. My husband and I are living in North Dakota right now and we desperately want to be back in Minnesota. Also, one of our deepest desires for the longest time has been to have lots of kids. In June of this year, we had an early miscarriage and lost our first precious baby. Sometimes, it is so easy to get down and feel like everyone else around me has so many exciting things happening and like God has even forgotten us, but I am continually reminding myself that God hears and sees me, His timing is perfect, and He knows the desires of my heart.

“Sometimes, it is so easy to get down and feel like everyone else around me has so many exciting things happening and like God has even forgotten us, but I am continually reminding myself that God hears and sees me, His timing is perfect, and He knows the desires of my heart.”

Profession/mission: I would say my overall profession or job title would be homemaker. I love being able to steward our home in a way that honors God and creates a safe and welcoming place for my husband and future kids to be and grow. In this season, I also have the opportunity to be the lunch lady for a new Christian school in our small town. It has been a pleasure to be able to serve them and hopefully make an impact on their lives. 

If you wrote a memoir, what would the title be? If I had to choose a title for my memoir, it would most likely be the same as my Instagram handle, which is Journey of Joyful Living. My life has been a journey – a lot has happened. Most of it relates back to finding joy in the season I’m in and ultimately fighting to live in the joy of the Lord. Most of my life has been laced with intense anxiety and depression and I have had to learn (and am still constantly learning) to rely on God and the peace and joy that He gives. 

When did you first encounter God and how did you encounter Him? Growing up in a Christian family that was very involved with all things church, I knew about God and the Bible. It wasn’t until high school that I truly encountered Him though. With the absence of my dad, came lots of insecurities. Those insecurities led me to try to find my worth through boys. There was a moment that everything came to light and my parents confronted me. The next month or so, I was grounded, and it was during that time that God really revealed Himself to me. He reminded me of who He is and in turn what that made me as His daughter. It definitely wasn’t a perfect road after that, but there was a foundation that was laid that I could keep going back to. Knowing who I am in Christ has been a pivotal moment in my walk with Him. 

How would you describe Jesus? I would describe Jesus as loving, kind, and gentle, but firm in the truth. He loved people the best and extended grace like never before, but He never let lies or sin compromise truth. He is powerful, but meek. Understanding and caring beyond what our minds can comprehend. He is so faithful. 

I am not sure where this idea really started for me, but when I think of God the Father I tend to default to thinking of Him as an all-powerful, judgemental King that is just sitting up in heaven not truly involved in our day to day. It has taken me a long time (and it’s still a work in progress) for me to get past that idea and remember that He is all-powerful, He is judgemental, and He is King. But at the same time He is loving and caring enough that He desires to be involved in our lives. He cares enough that He created us with intention and purpose. 

How has your relationship with Him changed you? Because of my relationship with Him, I can walk with boldness. I can have full and complete joy no matter the circumstance. I can have peace beyond all understanding. I have HOPE! I can see people as humans that just desire to be loved, seen, and known and through the love that Christ has given to me, I can extend some of that same love. I have the heart to serve people. 

What has been the darkest time of your life, and how did you see God in it? Looking back at my life there have been quite a few very dark times, but there are two that were the worst. 

The first was back in 2019. I had known that my Dad had struggled with an addiction for a while but I had thought things were getting better. After moving back home from an internship out of state, everything came to light even more. My parent’s marriage was falling apart. Less than a month after I had gotten home, my parents had a horrible fight and my dad was kicked out of the house. I had heard the idea thrown around a little bit before, but it never fully came to fruition. But this time it did. I was devastated.

My little siblings and I were all at home that day and so we sat together and just cried and cried and cried. Separation or divorce was something that happened to other families, but not ours. Or so I thought. But in the midst of it all I saw and felt God. We had a friend show up and love on us in the moment. I was able to develop deeper friendships with some of my friends with just being vulnerable.

God was evident everyday with the strength He gave me. I also was able to experience a hope that could only be God. I am so thankful I held onto that hope, because things aren’t perfect now but my parent’s marriage has healed so much. Also, all the anger that I felt towards my Dad is not there. God has healed our immediate family in huge ways that could only be Him.

The second hardest time in my life was this past year or so. My now husband and I were working and living at a camp in Northern Minnesota. We were enjoying it so much and we were looking forward to a future there, but that did not work out. We ended up leaving sooner than expected and were without jobs and places to live. We prayed and prayed and talked to people.

Then God did something really cool and opened doors for us to live and work in North Dakota. The way that He orchestrated everything was amazing. Within a week we were moved up there and starting our jobs. I have had a dream of working in coffee shop ministry for quite a while. I actually did an internship for that. My job in North Dakota was doing that. But fast forward to the winter, it did not work out as expected. My time as a barista ended in a very severe panic attack. The next 6-ish months I stayed home full time. While it was good for me to be able to be at home and heal and just do things I enjoyed, I was in a very dark place. I was so depressed. Every day was a struggle to get out of bed and eat. I also felt anxious every second of every day.

Then, in June was when we had our miscarriage, which was beyond devastating. I saw God show up in my life during that time though. A huge way was through my husband. We got married shortly before the panic attack happened, and he was my rock through it all. He selflessly took care of me and pointed me back to Christ. I have also developed a dependence on Christ stronger than ever. Asking Him to help me through a day or a situation was the only way I got through it and in His perfect character He never failed to show up. My song that I repeated over and over again was “Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me” by The Worship Initiative. 

“Asking Him to help me through a day or a situation was the only way I got through it and in His perfect character He never failed to show up.”

What has helped you grow spiritually in this season? Being intentional about spending time in God’s Word and prayer has been the biggest thing that has helped me grow spiritually. Also, the people that I surround myself with. 

Just read/currently reading (and what has it taught you?) One of my favorite reads recently was The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. I have tried to be more intentional about living slower recently, and this book taught me a lot about how to do that and why to do it.

One of the most profound quotes from the book was, “So many people live without a sense of God’s presence through the day. We talk about his absence as if it’s this great question of theodicy. And I get that: I’ve been through the dark night of the soul. But could it be that, with a few said exceptions, we’re the ones who are absent, not God? We sit around sucked into our phones or TV or to-do lists, oblivious to the God who is around us, with us, in us, even more desirous than we are for relationship.”

We live in a society where we are too busy for God and for people. That is not how it was intended to be.

“We live in a society where we are too busy for God and for people. That is not how it was intended to be.”  

Top three essentials: Besides the obvious being Jesus, water, etc., I would have to say books for sure, magnesium powder (life-changing for my anxiety and sleep), and time with my husband. 

How did God speak to you recently? God has used my husband to speak to me, recently. In the moments where I am overwhelmed or really down, he has just held me and reminded me of truth. Not only is it really comforting, but it reminds me of the love of Christ. 

Hobby: I love baking! I’ve enjoyed trying new recipes and perfectly older ones. I bake all our bread, buns, etc. It’s been a joy to use a hobby of mine to better steward our bodies and money. I also love reading! I have actually gotten back into it this year and look forward to reading even more this coming year. 

Tops three practical tips for staying spiritually strong:

#1). Prioritize your relationship with God. Make it a routine to spend time in His Word.

#2). Pray often and for everything. He knows you, He hears you, and He cares about you. 

#3). Surround yourself with a strong Godly community. Our relationships largely impact every aspect of our lives. 

Favorite person in Scripture: Recently I have loved Joseph, Jesus’ father. While reading Scripture especially around Christmastime, we see how selfless, courageous, and bold Joseph was. He stood beside his fiancée that everyone thought had betrayed him. He chose to believe the voice of God and the truth of God over what everyone else was saying. 

“He chose to believe the voice of God and the truth of God over what everyone else was saying.” 

What do you want people to learn about God when they look at you? I want them to learn about His never ending, relentless love. I would want them to learn just how faithful He is. How He never ever leaves. I would also want them to learn about the peace, joy, and comfort that Christ offers. 

How do you engage with your community? Intentionality is key. I don’t have much of a community in physical close proximity right now so it takes a little more effort to engage with those close to me. I still have my friends that I make sure to reach out to whenever I can and try to see them when I’m in town. We’re all pretty good at reaching out when we need prayer or just need someone to talk to. I have also done a Bible study over Facetime with one of my good friends this past year. 

Favorite holiday: My favorite holiday hands down is Christmas!! I love that we get to celebrate the humble coming of a baby that brought peace & joy to a weary world. I also love all the cheer and fun times that are usually associated with Christmas. There have definitely been times that I haven’t been excited for Christmas because things have been messy with family, but overall, it’s a time that brings me a lot of joy! All the lights, good old Christmas carols, and the coziness are a plus!

A goal you have: The biggest goal I have right now (with my husband) is to live self-sufficiently as much as we can. Our goal is to have a place in Northern Minnesota to raise our future kids, grow as much of our own food as we can, and learn to enjoy the simple life. 

A special tradition you and your family engage in or keep: Since everything that has gone on with our family and the healing that has taken place, we’d tried to be extra intentional about spending time together and making memories. My family has gotten a cabin up north for the holidays and we’ll all try to make it up there and just spend lots of time simply together. 

Thing you want to raise awareness about: Oh boy, so many things. Three things I am most passionate about though is how big of a problem trafficking is and how our culture contributes lots to it, how Big Pharma doesn’t care about us (they’re just after more money and power), and how messed up our food system is. 

What does your morning routine consist of: I don’t have a strict morning routine, but my mornings always consist of time with God, a cup of tea or an adrenal hot chocolate, and a protein-filled breakfast.

What is on your nightstand? Lots of books, Chapstick, love letter from my husband, water bottle, and lots of essential oils. 

Describe Christianity in one sentence: Surrendering my life to the Maker, who perfectly loves us all. 

For more Elizabeth:

Instagram: @journeyofjoyfulliving 

Until next time, keep witnessing!

XX