April 16: The Samaritan Woman: Transforming Your Testimony

Theme: Allowing God to use your story for His glory

             Leonora Miller
              Berea SDA.

I was the consummate church girl—always in the building, always serving. I was a deaconess, an usher, and I sang in the choir. On the outside, I had it all together. But inside? I was lonely.

Loneliness has a way of sneaking in and making you vulnerable, even when you're doing all the “right” things. At that time in my life, my closest friends were marrying and starting families. The dynamics of our friendship changed, and I felt left behind. Being single among couples hit differently—it left me feeling isolated and unsure of where I fit.

Then I met someone, and we began dating. I started praying for him, because, truth be told, there were red flags. He went to church, but some of his comments about God unsettled me. Still, I told myself that if I just prayed hard enough, God would fix it. I believed that if I stayed faithful, God would eventually change him.

What I didn’t want to admit—what I wasn’t ready to hear—was that we were unequally yoked. God had already told me, but I ignored it.

So many of us pray, “Lord, remove anything from my life that’s not good for me.” And then when He does? We go right back, pick it up again, and convince ourselves we know better. That’s what I did.

And the church girl got pregnant.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel worthy of God’s love. I had promised myself—and God—that I would never be a single mother. Yet, there I was. The guilt was suffocating. I felt like a failure. I thought I had disappointed God so deeply that He couldn’t possibly still love me.

My pregnancy was difficult. I was sick—so sick I thought I was being punished. I believed I was dying. One day, alone at home, I fell to my knees and began praying. I asked God for forgiveness, because if that was the day I died, I didn’t want to leave this world without making peace with Him.

And that’s when I knew He heard me.

Out of nowhere, my cousin called. She had been at church praying when God put it on her heart to call me. “Call Leonora,” He had said. That call was a lifeline. It reminded me I wasn’t alone. God wasn’t punishing me—He was loving me, even in my brokenness. He had forgiven me. Yes, I would have to face the consequences of my choices, but He wasn’t abandoning me.

In the following months, I was in and out of hospitals. The baby inside me was thriving, but I was struggling to survive. Through the IV drips, needles, and countless procedures, I learned to trust God in a new, deeper way. I finally understood what it meant to lean on Him completely.

I came to understand the woman at the well in John 4:29, who ran and said, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.” Jesus didn’t shame her. He didn’t tell her she wasn’t good enough. He offered her Living Water—something that could fill the deep emptiness she’d tried to satisfy in all the wrong ways.

That’s what Jesus did for me.

When I speak of Jesus now, I don’t just speak of a Savior—I speak of a Friend. The One who came looking for me. The One who met me in my shame, sickness, and sorrow, and loved me through it.

If you're reading this and you're carrying shame, regret, or guilt—I want you to know: God sees you. He knows everything you’ve done, and He loves you anyway. You can trust Him with your heart, your mistakes, and your healing. Nothing you’ve done makes you unlovable. Nothing you face is too much for His grace.

A Prayer for the Woman Who Feels Unworthy

Dear Lord, Please forgive me. Help me to remember that Your love for me is constant and unwavering. Remind me that You see the real me—and still choose to love me. Thank You for never turning Your back on me, even when I’ve fallen short. Walk with me through this chapter of my life. Take my hand and lead me into the future You’ve planned for me. Jeremiah 29:11 says that You have good plans—plans to give me hope and a future. I trust You with my life.

Thank You for sending Jesus to die for me. Thank You for loving me, forgiving me, and staying with me.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

If this testimony spoke to you or you think someone else needs to hear it, feel free to share. And remember: there is no mistake too big for God's mercy.