Out of the Woods: Embracing Your Testimony

By Nicole Miles

Out of the Woods is based on the true story of how Michelle grew up always wanting to leave the shadows of her sisters mistakes. After leaving home and walking away from the church, she found out quickly that being an adult was not all she thought it would be. After struggling with one bad relationship after the other, Michelle finally found her way back to God. Michelle had to learn how not to be ashamed of what she had done, but embrace her past and share her testimony with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512724653

Nicole Miles

Eisner-nominated illustrator Nicole Miles was born in the Bahamas and currently lives in West Yorkshire, UK, with her pet snake and human boyfriend. Her illustrations have appeared in a variety of print and digital publications including The New York Times, Buzzfeed and Bust Magazine.

Book preview

OUT OF THE WOODS

EMBRACING YOUR TESTIMONY

Nicole Miles

24310.png

Copyright © 2016 Nicole Miles.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This story is based on true events.

All names and locations have been changed to protect the anonymity of those involved.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture is taken from GOD’S WORD®, © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2466-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2465-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015921099

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/5/2016

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

About the Author

To those who are afraid to tell their testimony

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To all my friends and family that stood by me and encouraged me to write this book. There were often times when I wanted to give up, but it was you that stood in the gap. This would not have been possible without you.

INTRODUCTION

Many people, especially women, are ashamed of where God brought them from. The enemy (Satan) wants you to be ashamed and afraid, but God does not give us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). In order to be released from your past, you must release your testimony. Once, your testimony is released, it no longer holds you bound like a prisoner in chains. When your chains have become unshackled you are now released to receive God in all His Glory.

You are able to embrace and experience God’s love, Grace, Mercy, Blessings, Gifts, and Holiness, all of who He is. God wants you to experience and embrace all of Him, but the only way to get there is being able to embrace all of who you are. This includes embracing your past. When you are afraid of your past it keeps you from experiencing the amazing future God has waiting for you. You are missing out on so much in life because you are imprisoned by your history. You are to rest in the fact that God is sovereign.

Michelle used to concern herself with the acceptance of other, and whether or not she would still be accepted if they knew her past. Now she finally understand that she is not to be concerned about the acceptance of man, but the acceptance of Christ.

Everyone has a past and that includes you too. God brought you out of your past and into the presence of Salvation. You are no longer your past, but God is your future.

In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul states that he was the chief of sinners. Michelle felt the same about her life. She thought that there was no way anyone could have done anything worse than she had. Many of you that will read this have made the same claim, or at least thought it. Just like Paul, God showed Michelle mercy in her ignorance. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:13-14).

On Paul’s journey to Damascus, God spoke to him. This was Paul’s conversion from darkness to light. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him (Acts 9:3). This is a journey we all have taken as God was transforming us from darkness to light. And now that we are in His light we can no longer allow the darkness to keep our light from shining.

Your past is not who you are, but it is a testimony to the goodness of God. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul writes Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. We have been made new in Christ. Let go of the chains that bind you and declare that you are free.

Listen to God as Michelle tells her story, her conversion from being released from the imprisonment that is her past. It is my prayer, as you read Michelle’s story, you will embrace you story and share it with others. Now I charge each of you to release the fear that Satan put upon you and embrace the power we now have in Christ Jesus.

CHAPTER ONE

I grew up the youngest of four sisters. As I entered into my teenage years there were many stipulations placed on me. My sisters had become mothers during their teenage years, children raising children, and my mother was determined not to allow the same thing to happen to me. I saw firsthand what having a child as a teenager was like. Being a teenage mother was definitely not what I wanted for myself, but I felt as if I was being punished for the mistakes of someone else. Instead of following their footsteps I decided to make steps of my own. I had dreams for my future that did not involve motherhood as a teen.

I grew up in Lexington, a small town in Tennessee, and there was nothing productive for a young girl to do. I knew I had to do things differently with my life than everyone else, or I would indeed end up in the same predicament as my sisters. In order to change this cycle I knew that there were no other options, except to leave Lexington. Two weeks after my high school graduation, I got on the bus to Atlanta, Georgia with no intentions of looking back.

Atlanta was the place to be. A huge city compared to where I was from. The streets were busy with traffic and everyone seemed to be in a rush. This was my first time away from home and I had never seen anything like Atlanta. I finally had my freedom and I exhaled as the winds of Atlanta brushed across my skin.

I no longer had everyone watching every step I took and monitoring everything I did. I was an adult, a grown woman, and no one could tell me what to do anymore. This was going to be the first day of the rest of my life.

I had found a job through some friends of mine and I couldn’t wait to get started. When I arrived everyone was in such a hurry, busily working and running around the office doing important tasks. Just being there made me feel important.

My first stop at the new company was to the Human Resource office. I sat quietly waiting with anticipation before they called my name to start my in-processing procedures. I was given so much information that my brain was on overload. I knew nothing about withholdings and taxes. I sat there in hopes that the Human Resource Officer would not steer me in the wrong direction. I tried paying attention as much as I could, but I walked out with a brain full of information and had no idea what it all meant. I was so excited that I wasn’t going to let all that paperwork get me down.

Once my in-processing was complete, I was rushed into a training class for the remainder of the day. It seemed as if there was no end in sight. The instructor went on and on all day about procedures and protocol. I was glad to know that the entire room was filled with new employees, which made me feel a little more comfortable. I had met some exciting new friends who were all about the party life. A life I knew nothing of, but I was intrigued.

All they seemed to do were talk about parting and the men in their lives. They seemed to have been much more mature than I was, especially when it came to men. I sat quietly as they talked about things I knew nothing of, but surely wanted to experience. In an effort to fit in with the crowd I just laughed and nodded as if I knew exactly what they were talking about. I was embarrassed to let anyone know just how inexperienced I was.

Growing up my mother had always warned me about the friends I chose. Birds of a feather flock together, she would say. She would always tell me whom I could and could not be friends with. It was her way of protecting me from the bad influences as she called them. In my rebellious state I refused to listen. I wanted to make my own decisions and didn’t understand why my mother needed to pick my friends. I was not like my friends, I was different, I would say. I was soon about to find out just how different I was.

As I was leaving work one day I heard someone call out, Michelle! I turned and looked, but there was no one that stood out in the crowd. I continued on my way, and again I heard, Michelle! I stopped to see who it was. Stepping out from the crowd stood the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. Not realizing, I became flushed and a smile formed across