Called by His Name: Patricia’s Testimony of Healing After Trauma

Patricia had endured more pain than many people could imagine.

Her life began under difficult circumstances. Born prematurely after a botched abortion, she later suffered physical and sexual abuse, rape, abusive marriages, betrayal, and abandonment. Then, after moving to America on a visa, she was jailed because of her husband’s activities.

By that point, Patricia was exhausted from fighting to survive.

From inside that jail, she cried out to God:

“If there is a God, what have I done to deserve this?”

She did not know it yet, but that desperate question would become a turning point.

When Another Trial Opened an Unexpected Door

Patricia was not only carrying years of emotional pain. She was also physically ill and did not realize how serious her condition had become.

Being jailed felt like one more injustice. Yet it unexpectedly opened the door to medical care she desperately needed. Patricia was taken to a hospital, where she drifted in and out of consciousness.

Then she heard a gentle voice:

“God loves you so much.”

She never learned who spoke those words. But in that hospital room, Patricia experienced a comforting presence that changed the direction of her life.

The circumstances surrounding her had not suddenly become easy. Her past had not disappeared. Healing after trauma would not happen all at once.

But Patricia was beginning to discover something greater than the pain she had known: God had not abandoned her.

Scripture says, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

That truth does not mean suffering is insignificant. Scripture never asks us to pretend evil is good or pain does not hurt. Instead, God meets people in their suffering. Through Jesus Christ, the wounded can know that sin, trauma, rejection, and injustice do not have the final word.

Healing After Trauma Became a Journey of Faith

Patricia’s physical and emotional wounds did not disappear overnight.

Over the years, however, Patricia says she experienced God’s provision, His presence, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and miraculous healing from trauma-induced seizures. Through trial after trial, she learned to depend on Him.

Prayer became part of her daily life. Inspiration Ministries also became a source of encouragement.

“I do get lonely, and Inspiration Ministries is an encouragement to keep doing right.”

What Patricia received from God did not stop with her.

As she prayed, the Lord began turning her attention toward other people who needed encouragement. She was especially burdened for fellow believers who had grown distant from God.

“It made me sad, and I began praying about it. God used 2 Chronicles 7:14 to guide my thoughts”:

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

The verse originally addressed God’s covenant people Israel in the days of Solomon, so it should not be separated from that biblical setting. Yet its call to humility, prayer, repentance, and seeking God reflects truths repeated throughout Scripture.

For Patricia, prayer was becoming more than a place to bring her own needs before God. It was becoming a place where God enlarged her heart for others.

God Turned Her Pain Toward Purpose

Something began to change.

Patricia had needed encouragement herself. Now she realized other people were carrying that same need.

“I asked God what I could do, and He showed me that my need to be encouraged was a need others felt, too. So, I began sharing what lifted my spirit with others—and found it blessed me. In the midst of my suffering, I couldn’t see an end to my pain, but now I can see God’s goodness and help others see it, too.”

Her suffering had once made it difficult to imagine anything beyond the pain. Now, looking back, she could recognize God’s faithfulness and use her story to point someone else toward Him.

That is an important distinction.

The evil Patricia endured was not good. Abuse, betrayal, and injustice are never made righteous simply because God later brings redemption. But Scripture repeatedly shows that God is able to redeem what the enemy intended for destruction and use a surrendered life for His purposes.

Pain did not become Patricia’s identity.

Jesus did.

‘I Am a Vessel for Jesus’

When Patricia shared her story, she was living among people facing hard circumstances. Instead of seeing only difficulty around her, she saw people God had called her to love.

Her testimony echoes the heart of Isaiah 61, the passage Jesus applied to His own ministry in Luke 4. He came bringing good news, freedom, and hope to those who were hurting and oppressed.

Patricia wanted her life to point people to that same Jesus.

“Living in the projects is rough, but God put me in the middle of the enemy’s camp on purpose. He’s given me a love for tough people, and I can care for my fellow tenants. Jesus lives inside of me, and just like Him, I am anointed to bring healing to others (Isaiah 61). I am a vessel for Jesus. I couldn’t have made it without God—He has held my hand every step of the way. I want to give Him all the credit—and help others know Him, too!”

There is something deeply powerful about those words.

Patricia does not give herself the credit for surviving. She does not present herself as the hero of the story.

She points to Jesus.

That is what makes a testimony more than an account of overcoming hardship. A Gospel-centered testimony says, in effect, Look what the Lord has done.

From Surviving to Serving

Twenty-five years after that encounter in the hospital, Patricia was still living wholeheartedly for Jesus.

“My difficulties have given me a heart for people and helped me know, life’s all about Jesus.”

Then her desire to reach others took a simple, tangible form.

Patricia asked God for a way to share His love with more people. She remembered something she had seen only once years earlier—a small cross carried in a pocket.

So she began making crosses from plastic canvas and yarn.

One cross became another. Then another.

Eventually, Patricia had given away more than 10,000 crosses to people from many walks of life, including members of the Inspiration Ministries team.

The crosses themselves are simple. But the message behind them is eternal.

Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross for sinners. He died, was buried, and rose again so that everyone who turns to Him in repentance and faith can be forgiven, reconciled to God, and receive eternal life.

That is the hope Patricia wanted other people to know.

Your Pain Does Not Have to Be the End of Your Story

Perhaps some part of Patricia’s story feels familiar.

You may carry wounds other people cannot see. You may wonder where God was when something terrible happened. You may have prayed for healing and wondered why the process has taken so long.

Patricia’s testimony does not give us a formula for painless living. It gives us something better: a reminder to look to Jesus.

He is present with the brokenhearted. He saves sinners. He gives strength to endure. He transforms lives. And He can take the places of greatest pain and make them places from which His grace is shown to others.

Patricia once needed someone to remind her that God loved her.

Through her crosses and her story, she has reminded thousands of others.

That is the beauty of a life surrendered to Christ. The seed of encouragement God planted in Patricia did not remain with her. Over time, it produced a harvest that continues to touch other lives.

And the same God is still at work today.

Do You Need Prayer?

If you are walking through trauma, loneliness, grief, or another painful season, you do not have to hide your need from God. Bring it honestly before Him.

The International Prayer Center is also available to stand with you in prayer. Submit a prayer request.

Has God Brought You Through Something?

Patricia’s story began with one desperate prayer. Yours may encourage someone who is praying that same prayer today. If God has brought you through a painful season, we would love to hear what He has done.

Share your story.