We are honored to have CCM artist and singer/songwriter Jaime Jamgochian sharing her heart on the blog today!
The Valley Season
Sometimes it is easy to know the truth and think we are walking it out in faith during a mountain season. But what happens when you walk through a valley season? I recently walked through a difficult season, and let me tell you- my faith was tested.
For years I traveled around the country, ministering in music and encouraging women worldwide that God is good. During this season, I would sometimes feel a bit off. I chalked it up to too many late nights, helping with a new church plant in Nashville called The Belonging Co. I would think, “maybe this is what late 30s feel like?”
Little did I know I was about to see what my faith was really made of. In this lifetime, we will all go through challenging seasons. The Bible says nothing about Christians living a perfect, problem-free life. If anything, it is the opposite. There will be trials, hard seasons, and persecution, but we have the promises of God to hold onto! God will be with us and see us THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death.
My Faith Journey
I didn’t come to know the Lord until college. I grew up believing in God but had not yet encountered the love of Jesus or truly become a follower of Christ. I think religion tries to snuff the life out of us when Christ came to set us free to live the most abundant life in Him!
Music was always my passion and career, so once my heart came alive for God, my music naturally changed. I wanted to sing about Him, and this hope, joy, purpose, love, and peace I had found. Having lived some adult years before Christ, I had learned quickly that nothing in this world satisfies or compares to knowing and being known by Him.
So here I was living my life for Jesus. Yet, with all the touring, I was starting to feel not quite right. Have you ever been in a season where everything on the outside looks right, but something on the inside does not seem right?
I could not put my finger on it, but I was avoiding some disappointments in my heart towards a few areas of life that drained me emotionally, and I also had gotten bit by a tick somewhere along the way-NOT GOOD. Those little critters are NOT my friends.
In 2018, my body had finally had enough. I lost my motivation and could barely function. Come to find out, I had a neurological Lyme disease infection that nearly took me out.
Chronic Pain
If you have ever dealt with chronic pain day in and day out, it can bring you to a dark place. I had the kind of 24-7 headache that no pill or essential oil would touch. We tried everything to get it to go away. This season is where I learned that God CAN and WILL work all things for our good if we allow Him to. What looks like the end can actually become the launching point in your life.
During those nine months of awful pain, I would cry out to God, and I kept hearing Him say, “Do you trust me? I will work this for your good.” That is how one of the new songs off my album, “All Things,” came to life.
Though my eyes have yet to see, all that You have promised me.
I will wait. I will wait upon you, Lord
For what you start, You will complete.
Your working all things, all things, all things for my good.
When you are waiting on a promise from God like healing or answered prayer that has taken many years, the enemy of your soul will do everything he can to get you to believe that God is not good.
I can remember those whispers, “If God is really good, and you’ve served Him all these years, then why are you so sick?”
These moments are so important to know the word of God! When you do, you can see when the enemy is trying to lie, steal, and destroy you. As much as Jesus came to give us life, the enemy came for our destruction. The best news, though, is that when you are tethered to God’s heart and following Him on the good and bad days, He will guide you into victory! He has OVERCOME the enemy. Guess what? We are on the winning team!!!
Clinging to Hope
During this time, I learned some of the most valuable gifts of long-suffering, perseverance, and how to cling to HOPE.
In the spring of 2019, I found a clinic that was doing advanced Lyme treatments. These treatments were challenging and took faith, time, and investment, but by the end of the three months, I was told ALL traces of Lyme disease was gone! The doctors were honest that it would take time for my body to fully heal and rejuvenate over the next year. Talk about learning patience in so many areas of life.
But it was one of the greatest gifts. You see, I learned that when we anchor ourselves to Christ, He is our living hope.
All Things For Good
I had completely given up on ever making another album or touring again. I just wanted to be healthy and fully live again. The healing did not come the way I thought it was going to. I have seen so many people miraculously healed through faith and prayer. I even once had ovarian cysts the size of a cantaloupe that was prayed over in a service, and when I went for the appointment that week, the scan showed it was completely gone!
I have seen God heal firsthand. But this longer, more costly journey of healing from Lyme taught me gifts I would not have had if it had happened overnight. I had to deal with some disappointments in my heart, I had to believe again, and pick up some dreams I thought were dead due to insecurity and fear.
God has shown me repeatedly in this season how He can and will work it all for our good. Never in a million years did I think I would be releasing a new album, touring again, and working on my first book.
Encouragement for YOU!
If you find yourself in a dark place right now, I want to challenge you to begin to rehearse all the ways in your past you have seen God be faithful. Remember who He is. His nature is love, and remind yourself of the truth that He is for you.
Trust the process but trust His heart even more. There is nothing too big or complicated for Him. Break up with any shame you might be holding onto. He has set you free from that. Above all, trust that even in the valley seasons of life, He will work all things for your good.
You can listen to Jaime’s new album “All Things” here. For more from Jaime Jamgochian, follow her on social media.
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