Country singer Jo Dee Messina was at an all-time low when an encounter with Jesus on her front porch changed everything. And hearing the Christian celebrity share her testimony is truly inspiring!
You'd think a singer with six No. 1 country singles like Jo Dee Messina would have it all. But Jo Dee's testimony is a wonderful example of how temporary worldly treasures are.
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Despite her success in country music, Jo Dee Messina found herself in the pit described in Psalms 40:2. Doctors diagnosed her with cancer in 2017. And from there, things started crumbling around her.
Following her diagnosis, treatments left Jo Dee too weak to tour. She had no choice but to take a step back from her career.
To make matters worse, Jo Dee Messina and Chris Deffenbaugh, her husband of 10 years, separated. That left her as a single mom to her kids, Noah (10) and Jonah (7). But with her source of income cut off, Jo Dee soon found her finances falling apart, too.
With her cancer battle in full swing and both legal and medical bills piling up, Jo Dee Messina found herself exhausted in every sense of the word -- mentally, spiritually, and physically.
"I was at an all-time low," the Christian celebrity explained. Jo Dee was "trying to sustain a career, I had a lifestyle and a family and everything, all on my own, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't -- I was pulled way too thin."
Jo Dee was careening toward "rock bottom." And that's when Jesus turned up on her front porch!
"I was just standing on my porch one day, and Jesus Christ walked out and said, 'She's mine.'" Jo Dee recalled. "I just knew it, in the middle of that, in the middle of my spirit and my soul, I'm like, 'That's Jesus.'"
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Moved right down to her soul, Jo Dee ran next door to ask her neighbor more about Jesus.
"I know the stories," the country singer explained. "I know the Christmas and Easter. He was born on Christmas, died on Easter. You know what I mean? But I didn't know Him. Just having that intimate relationship with God, and I'll sit here right in front of you and tell you He loves you more than you ever even imagine.”
Finding a true relationship with Christ and a deeper faith has changed everything for Jo Dee Messina. That's not to say all of her troubles disappeared. She's still battling cancer and trying to fix her finances.
But what the singer has learned is that God is with her in the valley. And she's relying on Him to see her through.
"I'm leaning on God," Jo Dee said. "I'm letting Him take charge. It's what's best for my soul right now. Every biopsy and every result ... it feels like an eternity goes by. I know that God has me. I'm filled with gratitude and joy."
Jo Dee is finally well enough where she is starting to perform again. And she considers returning to the stage a true blessing.
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"To be able to stand out there and sing a few songs, and tell them, and not leave the stage without saying, 'And tell you what, God loves you more than you can even imagine.' That's the greatest gift of all," she said.
The incredible encounter with Jesus has changed Jo Dee's whole perspective. It impacted her so deeply, she felt led to record her own version of the popular Gospel song, "Reckless Love."
After experiencing the kind of soul-stirring change only our Lord and Savior can bring about, Jo Dee wants to lead others to Christ. That is now the primary focus of her life.
"I spent my entire career, my entire life glorifying myself. It's time for Him. He gets the glory from this point on," she says.
And by glorifying Him and His message, Jo Dee Messina is hoping to encourage and inspire others who are facing trials to find strength in Christ.
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"When you are going through a hard time in your family situation and you are diagnosed with cancer, and you don't know what's going to lie around that corner, and you have the arms of Jesus there, holding you. You never want to walk away from it," she said.
What a powerful testimony!
h/t: Christian Post
Featured Image: Facebook/Jo Dee Messina