Life Changing Stories: A Devotional Collection Revealing God's Faithfulness and Transforming Power

By Mary Rooney Armand

Discover the extraordinary power of a life changed by Christ 

Thirty-four authors share inspiring devotionals revealing a personal encounter with Christ. These compelling, heartfelt stories will encourage you to trust God's extraordinary power to guide you to a hope-filled life.

Drawing inspiration from

• Language: English
• Publisher: ButterflyLiving
• Release date: Sep 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988858010

Book preview

Author's Note

Welcome to a beautiful journey of Life-changing stories filled with joy, gratitude, love and the miraculous wonder of a relationship with Jesus. This devotional collection is overflowing with hope and promise and I am excited to share it with you!

Thirty-four authors have revealed a moment in their lives where a close relationship with Jesus was the remedy for life’s sometimes difficult circumstances.

ButterflyLiving Life Changing Stories was inspired by my blog, ButterflyLiving.org, which was created to share stories of how a transformed life in Christ is possible.

The foundation of ButterflyLiving is found in Romans 6:4, just as Jesus was raised from the dead through the power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in the newness of life.

These heartfelt stories share the joy and possibility of walking habitually in the newness of life.

I am forever grateful for the thirty-four writers who said yes and opened their hearts, minds and computers sharing vulnerability, pain, grief and wisdom. I am also thankful for the best editor, Barbara Coots, who is delightful.

Jesus never promised a life without difficulties, but He does promise to guide us along the way, showering us with His presence, love and peace. In Christ, we are overcomers pursuing our greatest mission: shining the light of Christ to draw everyone to Him. My hope is that you identify with and find inspiration and encouragement in these pages.

And be sure to scan the QR code in the book to listen and get to know some of our authors as they introduce themselves via audio.

Blessings from a fellow lover of Jesus being transformed moment by moment,

Mary Rooney Armand

Creator of ButterflyLiving.org

1

A Season of Surrender:

Love and Loss Walk Hand in Hand

By Mary Rooney Armand

"What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

The one who plants and the one who waters

work together with the same purpose.

And both will be rewarded for their own hard work."

—

1 Corinthians 3:7-8 (NLT)

As we stood on the sidewalk, a little girl riding her red scooter stopped abruptly and cheerily said, Hello!

My daughter shyly waved and I wondered, who is this golden-haired cutie?

I asked the pint-sized stranger if she was visiting someone in the neighborhood. She enthusiastically responded, No, I live here, and whizzed off.

Now I was confused. Knowing my neighbors well, I was unaware of any recent home sales or pending relocations, so I shrugged and dismissed the comment.

Little did I know that this brief seemingly insignificant encounter would begin an unimaginable journey lasting for years.

A few days later, I learned the cheerful scooter rider was my neighbor’s granddaughter. She had moved in with her grandmother to allow time for her parents to regulate their life and hopefully become whole.

This bubbly seven-year-old quickly became a regular visitor to our home and a perky playmate for our daughters.

We adjusted to a new normal with our exuberant neighbor, who quickly became a constant companion for our family. And several months later, she was joined by her five-year-old sister.

One day our family was informed the girls would be moving to a new home. We were devastated.

We had grown to love these precious girls and considered them a part of our family.

A small sprout of an idea, planted in my spirit but resisted by every other part of me, began to form. I introduced the crazy thought to my husband; certain he would disagree.

What if the girls moved in with us? I hesitantly suggested. He looked over with a big smile and said, I was thinking the same thing … yes!

What? I was not expecting or hoping for that answer, but the Holy Spirit won and fear lost.

Although I felt completely unprepared for this assignment, I knew God was calling us to step in and provide what we could.

Sorting through doubt and uncertainty, I found comfort in the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy, "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21 NLT).

Over several weeks, plans for the girls evolved and changed. After hours of prayer, speculation and discussion, we offered to let the girls stay with us until a permanent home was available.

This unusual plan was not an easy decision, and I experienced a persistent internal wrestle with comfort, fear and control. But ultimately, I sensed God quietly whispering, would you be okay saying no to these girls when you can say yes?

Fearfully but expectantly, we opened our home and our hearts … we were ready to be used for good work.

The moment a green light was shining, our new roommates marched over, loaded with two garbage bags full of their belongings. The girls ran to our spare bedroom and gleefully set up their temporary safe place.

At times, the uncertainty accompanying this decision was suffocating. But several thoughts dominated: How will this arrangement affect my children, and what if it doesn’t work out? What if failure, pain and rejection consume a space that once held hope and promise?

I could share many details about the emotional and spiritual ups and downs during this time, but this story is about how God transformed me during a season of surrender and change.

Although the girls lived with us for several years, they eventually went their separate ways. We had to release them to others, hopeful that the seeds planted in our home would be watered by new gardeners.

But in this season, we gained wisdom that we learned to appreciate. I also learned that my work for God is not exclusively for me or my family.

God uses us to demonstrate love to those He puts in our orbit, whether for a day or for a lifetime.

When I reflect on those difficult years of plowing and planting, I remember invaluable lessons.

The willingness to say yes to God and plant seeds in the lives of others radically changed me and my family.

I learned the true meaning of sacrificial love and the importance of investing in others.

Difficult seasons can be flooded with the goodness of God. At my wit’s end doing all of the things—carpooling, homework and just feeding six children—a helper came along to lighten the load.

When things are out of our control, our trust and reliance on God grows.

Our relationship with Jesus is fertilized and blooms when we exhibit the spiritual fruit of patience, kindness and humility.

Love and loss walk hand in hand.

Obedience does not guarantee a certain outcome.

Sacrifice is hard, but when you surrender to God, it is extremely soul-satisfying.

This season helped our family get acquainted with the meaning of sacrifice and how it transitions your heart to be less selfish and more like Jesus. We had to adjust but did not suffer by sharing square footage in our home and our hearts.

Over the years I have wondered what lasting effect our time with the girls had on everyone.

One day after grieving and wondering if the hard work of relationship building was even worth it, a beautiful flower was given to me: my daughter read me her college essay.

She shared how the time in her life with two additional sisters molded her to become more like Jesus by helping her grow in empathy and compassion.

You may not immediately see the expected rewards of relationship work. But often, if you look closely, God shows you beautiful blooms along the way when you offer love and plant seeds in others’ lives.

"We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will

and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord,

and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.

All the while, you will grow as you learn to know

God better and better."

—

Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)

Mary Rooney Armand is a writer, teacher, and creator of the faith-based blog ButterflyLiving. Her well-received blog, ButterflyLiving.org, about living a transformed life in Christ inspired this story compilation. Her writing is featured on multiple Christian websites and she is the author of the book, Identity, Understanding, and Accepting Who I am in Christ available on Amazon. Besides writing, Mary is a life coach, leads and teaches retreats, and has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and an MBA. She and her wonderful husband Cory live in New Orleans with their 4 children and 2 dogs! Connect with Mary and ButterflyLiving on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

2

Transformation

in the Stillness:

A Journey of Surrender and Healing

By Julie Ademe

Be still, and know that I am God.

—

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

I love adventure and enjoy a challenge. My friends describe me as quirky and fun. I thrive when I’m constantly on the move, and I relish a challenge. I am a 7 on the Enneagram scale. Not much slows me down.

But being a 7 also comes with a downside. I flee from my emotions, and I prefer not to acknowledge them. Instead, I bury them deep in the sand and will do anything to keep moving so they don’t catch me.

Not the healthiest way to live, but hey, I’m fun.

All was well and good in my eyes until my second cancer battle came at me like a crashing wave, throwing me off balance. I was diagnosed with inoperable cancer in my only kidney. Most people are born with two kidneys, so you have a spare if one fails. But I was born with only one kidney, and now with a rapidly growing tumor inside, I didn’t have many options available for treatment.

In just a few weeks, I went from loving change and challenges to living knee-deep in the shifting sands of the unknown. My emotions were coming in wave after crashing wave, and I was tumbling in each one. Why now? Why is this happening to me again? Why God? Why?

Over nine months, my questions gained steam as my husband and I sought a second opinion. We tried surgically scraping the tumor out every six weeks, hoping it wouldn’t grow back, and when that didn’t work, we researched other options online. And through it all, we continued to pray and seek the Lord’s guidance.

Ultimately, no feasible option remained but to remove my kidney, leaving me on dialysis until I stayed cancer free for a minimum of two years. Then the search could begin for a kidney donor. The uncertainty was overwhelming. Where would I find a kidney donor? How long would I need to wait? How would our lifestyle change? How would I live a vibrant life in the wait? Where would I find peace? There were so many unanswered questions, and that’s when I noticed God was trying to get my attention. He was starting a new work in my soul.

God was churning something within me as I turned to Him and clung tightly to His promises. In the uncertainty, He showed me I could no longer run from my emotions and find the peace I desperately was seeking while waiting for a kidney donor. But how would I change a behavior I’d had for as long as I could remember?

Deep down, I knew I could no longer run from my flood of emotions. I would break into a million little pieces if I didn’t learn to process them. I needed help surrendering and processing my emotions. I needed to learn to be still in the Lord’s presence and be authentic with my feelings. I needed Jesus.

Finding Truth in the Stillness

Living on dialysis for nearly three years gave me more opportunities for surrender than I care to admit. Because dialysis physically slowed me down, I had more time alone with my thoughts. In the quiet, I was trying to carry the burden of finding a kidney donor. But in that same silence, God gently helped me realize I could no longer avoid my emotions. In the stillness, He was doing a deeper work in my soul. And as He did, my heart softened to face my feelings with the Lord by my side.

Now I see my years on dialysis as a blessing. God slowed me down so I could no longer run from Him. I needed to allow Him to fight the battles before me.