Sharing My Story

Sharing My Story

By Chelsa LaFree

On December of 2019, I started praying a prayer of forgiveness to God. One evening my husband, Ryan, and I were on a double date, and he started sharing my testimony. I felt myself mentally slouching down in my seat. I get embarrassed by my story, not because I am ashamed but because I don’t like all eyes on me. I don’t want anyone to feel pity for me, even though my brain tumors were so long ago. But that night, as I was getting ready for bed, God convicted me big time!

See, the first time I had a brain tumor, as a child, the doctor removed it, but the second time, the doctors couldn’t remove it. God gave me a miraculous healing. One month my tumor was there, and the next month it wasn’t! God gave me that story to tell people about His love and His protection. In my lack of not telling my story for the sake of not making it about me, I was making it about me! So I made a promise that I would share my story to others.

Almost a month after praying that prayer, we went to Disney World, one of the most magical places on earth! We had an amazing first day in Epcot. Our second day took place in Hollywood Studios. I was pushing both boys in the stroller, heading to Star Wars, when my stomach dropped. I saw a Make-a-Wish family, and I knew it was time for me to share my story. My mind started racing: What if my kids won’t be patient long enough? What if I get rejected? What if I look silly? Even though I was nervous, I gave my husband the stroller and asked him to watch our boys.

Make-a-Wish is a non-profit that helps families by granting a life changing wish for a child with a critical illness. God placed it on my heart to talk to this family because that was me almost 20 years ago. I was that little girl that also wished through Make-a-Wish to go to Disney!

I started by greeting the family and asking if I could talk with them. I broke down my story and told them how I was sick and how God performed a miracle through me. Come to find out, they were also believers! The Make-a-Wish recipient and I had a lot in common. We were both young as tumors invaded our bodies, we both had the same wish, and both had a love of clothes. She was wearing a pink fur coat in Disney World (you go girl)!

I asked the family if they minded if I prayed for them. We all gathered in a circle, strangers connected by pain, healing, and faith, crying out to the Lord together. I will never forget that day and the tears I got to share with this family that I only met seven minutes before. God not only used me to be in prayer with this family but also blessed me through the experience.

God gives us all special testimonies so that we can relate well to certain people. Don’t ever be ashamed of the testimony God gave to you because you never know who needs to hear it.