What Are You Carrying?

There comes a moment when you realize you’re carrying more than you were ever meant to.

For some, it’s pain.

For others, it’s rejection.

Some carry betrayal, shame, or the endless weight of “what could’ve been.”

And many carry all of it silently.

When I look at this image, I don’t just see a woman carrying stones. I see the beginning of a testimony.

Most people believe their testimony starts with the miracle.

It doesn’t.

It starts with the burden.

The stones on her back aren’t just labels—they’re chapters.

• Pain becomes Chapter One.

• Rejection becomes Chapter Two.

• Betrayal becomes Chapter Three.

• Shame becomes Chapter Four.

• Regret becomes Chapter Five.

The very things she wishes she could leave behind are the very things God can use to reveal His faithfulness.

This Is Where Most People Get Stuck

Many aspiring authors tell me:

“I don’t know where to start.”

The truth is, they usually know exactly where to start.

They just don’t know how to organize the story.

Writing your testimony isn’t about telling every detail of your life.

It’s about discovering the thread God was weaving through every season.

A Simple Exercise I Use With Clients

If this woman came to me wanting to write her testimony, I wouldn’t tell her to start writing Chapter One.

I’d ask her to unpack the stones first.

For each “stone,” I would ask:

1. What happened?

Describe the event without trying to explain it away.

2. How did it affect you?

What did you believe about yourself because of it?

3. Where did you see God?

Maybe not in the moment, but looking back.

4. What changed?

How are you different today?

5. What would you tell someone carrying this same stone?

Now that stone has become a testimony.

Your Testimony Has a Pattern

Every testimony follows a journey.

The Burden
What were you carrying?

The Breaking Point
What made you realize something had to change?

The Encounter
How did God meet you?

The Healing
What began to change inside of you?

The Purpose
How is God using your story today?

That’s more than a life story.

That’s a message.

From Purpose 2 Published™

This is exactly what I love helping people discover.

Not grammar.

Not perfect sentences.

But the heart of the story.

I help people uncover the message hidden inside their experiences, organize it into a clear framework, and confidently write the testimony God has already been writing through their lives.

Because your story isn’t just about what you’ve carried.

It’s about what God carried you through.

Reflection

What are you carrying today?

Now ask yourself:

• What am I carrying?

• How long have I been carrying it?

• What has it taught me?

• How has God met me in it?

• Could this become the chapter that helps someone else find hope?

Your testimony doesn’t begin when the burden disappears.

It begins the moment you decide to tell the story of how God brought you through it.

— Mia Knight
From Purpose 2 Published™
Write. Publish. Impact.