Hey! Tell us your name and where you are from?
Buenooo!!!
I am The One and Only Seanay Elaine Singleton from Rancho Cucamonga, Ca (yes the place from Next Friday: yes, it’s a real city; no, not all houses look like that 🤣)
LOL What is your faith story? What can you tell us about your personal life testimony?
I come from a two parent home and have one younger sister. To date, my parents have been married for 28 years and my sister and I are college graduates. For the outside world, we’ve lived the “Cosby Show” life. This includes two hard working parents and a home full of love, laughter, and traditions rooted in black culture. However, despite the picture perfect family, I was not exempt from the circumstances of life. After bullying, molestation, and repetitive rejection by the age of 10 I had a heart of stone. I learned to perfect the facade of being socially accepted, but internally numb. I learned to be other’s minded because I realized the more you encourage people to talk about themselves, the less they’ll inquire about you. By 13 I created and reinforce the narrative that my voice didn’t matter and my emotions were a badge of weakness.
By 16, my family had finally committed to a church home and my sister and I began serving in Youth Alive at ALFC under Pastor Kenyon. The foundation of Christ was laid at this time. I learned who God was and what He was capable of, but my heart was so hardened through life’s experiences I couldn’t fully receive God’s love for myself. So my internally tumultuous years continued. By the age of 25 I had hit rock bottom. From 2014-2019 I had experienced 10 family deaths, my father had torn both of his quad muscles and was literally learning how to walk again, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and my sister had lumps forming at an uncontrollable rate and we had no answers. I had anxiety attacks, hair falling out, deep depression, and an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I was suffering in silence, but the facade that was established at the age of 10 was still alive and well.
I knew in January of 2019 if I wasn’t intentional about changing my heart, the road I was headed down was dark and lethal. So I reached out to Pastor Renee of Point of Grace Church and My Nina. From January to October of 2019 I met weekly with both women. Pastor Renee and I went through “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore. We tailored the lessons to where I was, what I was willing/able to handle, and truly allowed the Holy Spirit to lead the way. My Nina and I spoke on a daily basis and allowed spirit led vulnerability to lead the way. The time orchestrated by God literally changed the trajectory of my life. I experienced a deep level of spiritual warfare and I literally walked out the fight of my life (to date). In that time I was also able to identify unhealthy thought patterns, voice emotions and feelings I had numbed, and explore total vulnerability in safety and complete trust.
When I started my healing journey, I shared that my life felt like a bunch of broken puzzle pieces. Although I had all the pieces, I had no picture or vision on how to even begin to put them together. Today I’m able to look at my life and say.. I don’t know for certain where I’m going, but I agree with God. I don’t have all of the answers, and I’m learning to be okay with that. I’m learning to have a resolve with knowing that God is enough and I can simply be and receive His love without prerequisites.
What is your favorite scripture and why?
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” -Ezekiel 36:26 AMP
This was the verse that anchored my soul. Despite the late nights of tears, anxiety attacks, painful memories, and depression, I agreed with God. I said, “God , I’ve tried everything but you. I want to partner with you, fulfill this journey, and I’m not letting go until I receive this breakthrough”. As a result, I have a new heart and a renewed mind.
This is already so good! But if there was one nugget of wisdom in your walk and growth in Christ that you would want to leave us with, what would that be?
I would encourage you to take the gardening approach to your walk. You are a seed and God has filled you with everything you will ever need on this side of heaven. A gardener will never try or expect a seed for a rose bush to become a sunflower. Keep that same energy with your soul! Additionally, spend time cultivating and growing that seed into all that God called you to be. This means, pay attention to your roots and strengthen that with God’s love and word. Own all of who you are and walk in the authority that you are the Righteousness of God through Christ Jesus.
Do you have any resources (devotionals, books, studies) that have helped you that you would recommend?
Battlefield of the Mind- Joyce Meyers
Breaking Free- Beth Moore
Where can we find you online?
Instagram: @seanay11
Facebook: Seanay Singleton
Takeaway:
Sometimes circumstances in life can happen to us that can place in our hearts on a journey toward healing that we never asked for. Sometimes the area of forgiveness that we struggle with is forgiving life. However, be encouraged to day by Seanay's story that if we actively seek out that healing with the support of the Lord, His Word, and people we can trust, that healing can be ours.
Prayer:
Father I lift up every reader today who's heart is broken through similar circumstances. Today we pray that they are connected with a supportive community that can love them through their healing. I pray that they are encouraged today that you see them and wholeness is already theirs. I pray that shame is removed today. That anger is released today. That they are reminded that they can lean on you as they walk through a new path and they are not defined by their past, but processed through it. Remind them that they are seen and loved as they are In Jesus' Name, Amen