A teenager testified about overcoming depression. She had carried guilt for her father’s cancer diagnosis, but through God’s intervention, her mind was liberated from anguish and despair.
Her Story
Zoey Randall shared her testimony recounting the period when her father received a second diagnosis of lymphoma cancer, a time when she was merely four years old.
“He had to have life sucked out of him and then put back in so that he could keep living,” she said.
As Zoey’s family relocated to a new city, thoughts of inadequacy began to invade her mind. She fell victim to the false belief that everything was her fault. Eventually, after seven years, her family faced the need to move once again, this time to Redding, California.
Despite being enrolled in a reputable school, Zoey encountered difficulties in fitting in. She grappled with a sense of worthlessness that took a toll on her mental, emotional, and social well-being.
“It was my 7th grade year that I started cutting myself because I was so depressed and so lost. I didn’t know who I was and I just didn’t have a strong enough community around me to boost me,” Zoey recalled.
Overcoming Depression
She added, “Because I didn’t know who I was, I didn’t know how to surround myself with people who knew who they were.”
Zoey portrayed her struggle as being akin to waging war within oneself.
READ: AT THE BRINK OF DEATH, A MAN REALIZED HIS NEED FOR JESUS
Two years later, Zoey participated in a youth camp where she received prayer. Although she initially didn’t experience anything and returned to her seat, after a while, she entered a trance-like state and proceeded to describe what she saw:
“God pushed my dad up to me in a wheelchair and Jesus was standing behind him. My dad gets up out of his chair, walks over to me, stands next to me and rips off his shirt. Across his chest in blue paint, like someone had just come and painted on it said, “Strong.” I had no idea what it meant.”
As tears streamed down her face, Zoey came to a profound realization that she needed to be strong for the sake of her father, mother, and brother.
“And there was just no room for me to be strong for myself,” she said.
Testifying About Overcoming Depression
She felt sorry for herself until she heard Him whisper, “You’re worth it, and you’re enough.”
Guided by God, Zoey was prompted to share her story at another youth gathering. Despite her initial reluctance, she understood the importance of obeying God’s will. To the surprise of many who knew her, she revealed her story, leaving them astonished as she had not shared it with anyone before. This experience affirmed that others had gone through similar struggles.
Upon returning home, Zoey felt a deep sense of joy for obeying God’s calling. It was at this moment that she received a miracle.
“I was in the shower and I looked down and all of the scars off of my legs had disappeared. Except for one. And it was from that point on where I was like there’s no doubt in my mind that God is real. That there is a God and that He lives inside of me. He’s taken away the lies of that I’m not enough and that I’m not worth it,” she concluded.
Reference: Young Saints
Header image: Zoey testifying [Young Saints]. YouTube, 31 August 2018, https://youtu.be/cNyoKRBF6M8
