The Goodness of God

This heartfelt article reflects on one woman’s journey from insecurity, health struggles, and spiritual searching to a life rooted in purpose and hope. Through personal stories and divine appointments, she boldly proclaims the goodness of God as the driving force behind her ministry, Shaped by Faith. Now at 52, she looks back with gratitude and forward with faith, knowing that God’s love continues to lead the way.

If you had told me at 32, how good things would be at 52, I might have questioned it a little bit. But here it is my birthday, and 52 is better than I could have imagined. In fact, as part of my birthday celebration, we are heading to Belgium to visit our daughter Christina, her husband Jason, and our wonderful grandchildren, Preston and Eva Grace.

Birthdays tend to spur memories of days gone by. When I think of the things God has done for me and continues to allow me to do, His goodness and love are overwhelming. Best of all I believe the best is yet to come!

But I wasn’t always this way, and because of some of these “rough patches and storms,” I can share a testimony about many relatable subjects. Before I even knew Jesus, He was shaping my heart for His purposes. The following are a few of the special circumstances which became the foundation for God’s ministry, Shaped by Faith.

I was unwanted at birth but adopted at six weeks. Even though I was adopted, I constantly struggled with my identity and associated insecurities. In my mind, it was perfectly logical to believe I was unworthy, because if I was worthy my birth parents would have fought to keep me. Though clueless, I still knew how to put on a good show for the world. I carried those issues into adulthood and over-compensated for my insecurities. Living inside a protective bubble, with no visible vulnerabilities, no one could see the gaping spiritual hole inside me.

When you are in the middle of living life, working, and taking care of children, identifying insecurity issues becomes secondary to the tasks at hand. I was teaching full-time at the modeling studio, teaching ten fitness classes a week, and running seven fitness facilities in my spare time. But when my health started falling apart, that got my attention. At 24, your health shouldn’t be falling apart, but every night was a high fever and physical exhaustion. Doctors found it difficult to believe there could be anything wrong, dismissing my condition as “overwork or simply a crazy woman wanting attention.” It took a year and multiple hospital visits to finally determine there was a hole in my heart, a congenital birth defect.

We all have a story and mine is nothing special or out of the ordinary. With that being said, I truly believe my story can help you recognize “all things are possible.” It was a little over twenty years before my second open-heart surgery. It seems the patch on my heart came loose and the surgeon had to go back in. Technology has improved so much during the last few years and this time the surgeon found three holes. The doctors gave a lot of credit for my survival to my fitness level and exercise.

There is no doubt in my mind God allowed me to live, so I may help others find the person they are in Christ Jesus. Psalms 118:1 and 17 were verses I focused on during my second open-heart surgery. Verse 1 tells us to “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.” And verse 17 “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”

When I decided to follow Jesus at 26, Shaped by Faith was birthed. As a single mom raising four children, working four part-time jobs, my depending on God fully just became a way of life. Faith became very natural as miracle after miracle provided for our family.

Shaped by Faith is not about Theresa Rowe, it’s about God and His kingdom purposes working through me and others. It is fellow students, along with me, coming alongside of people to encourage and help give direction. The harvest is ready, people want to know about Jesus. Shaped by Faith, the radio show, is interviewing people in the community who are making a difference for Christ and their field of endeavor. Yes, it’s a fitness program on television, but it is also speaking to businesses and women’s groups about health, wellness, and living the good life for God. As always, Shaped by Faith is available to speak to church groups all across the world. I want to help you to experience God’s created destiny. I want to help you be strong and bold.

Taking care of our bodies is just one small part of Shaped by Faith. It is never about weight or how we look, it is about taking care of what God gave us on loan. He wants us to invest time in being the person we are called to be, so we will be able to go out and proclaim His goodness and His good name! Shaped by Faith is God’s community of believers strengthening the whole person, including spirit, mind, and body.

Turning 52 is just another great new beginning for me! I thank God for allowing me to live to proclaim His good news and share my testimony with others. I just can’t keep it bottled up inside me; I’ve got to proclaim His love! All things are possible for those who believe. You can check out all the things we do at www.shapedbyfaith.com.

While I may not have all the answers with my ministry, I trust my God and he knows where we are going! Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever!

…

Ready to take another step toward healing and wholeness? Read more now.