When do we give our testimony?  Do we wait for the ‘big reveal’, when we’ve overcome and experienced a desired victory?  What if victory doesn’t come for 10 years, do we not have a testimony?

The testimony begins in the valley–in that ‘going through’ place.  We can still talk about God’s goodness when the experience is real and raw and unyielding.  We can decide to trust God when the money runs low, our health is challenged, our loved ones pass, and our career seems to have stalled.  We can voluntarily surrender to the will of our Father when the valley experiences stretch our human resolve.

The mountaintop has its place.  We can be free to praise and experience exhilaration there, but we can’t live on the mountain.  The valley is where the real work happens.  It’s where we gain a better understanding of  who we are and who God is.  

Our testimony is built everyday as we face our trials with the increasing awareness that we’re not alone.  When we realize that we have a Savior who acts on our behalf and will continue to orchestrate the events of our valley experiences, we awaken to our ever expanding testimony.  After all,  the outcome is not as important as the journey.  God wants us to go through well and trust Him for the outcome.