Don’t Despise Small Beginnings

This week I share a good word on why you shouldn’t despise small beginnings. God always starts big things small, and He rejoices when the work begins. Be faithful with what’s in front of you today, because what looks like too little to you is always enough in His hands.

Look What God Has Done

Inspired by real praise reports from the Tipping Point community, these testimonies celebrate God’s faithfulness, answered prayers, and the miracles He is still doing today. We pray they encourage your faith and remind you that God is still at work.

He Never Left Me

By Kari Smalley Gibson, TP Community Storyteller

There are moments in life when the Holy Spirit gently nudges us—and only later do we realize why.

In March 2020, Teddy was repairing cattle fence with his oldest son, Tyler, on their ranch in New York when he suddenly stopped and said, “We have to go home.”

They had planned to stay overnight, but Teddy couldn’t explain the urgency he felt. Looking back, he has no doubt.

“For sure it was the Holy Spirit!”

Within hours, Teddy became critically ill. His oxygen level had fallen to a shocking 54%. His wife, Marian, and their three sons gathered around him, anointed him with oil, and prayed in the name of Jesus as he lost consciousness.

Teddy remembers waking briefly in an ambulance, completely calm and aware of God’s presence. Two unusually large paramedics looked at him and said with absolute conviction, “Teddy, you are a very sick man, but you will be okay.”

Months later, Teddy tried to find out who they were. No one seemed to know. “I can only think they were angels,” Teddy shared.

Doctors expected to wake him after five days. Instead, Teddy remained unconscious for nearly three months. He endured eight surgeries, lost 75 pounds, and came to the brink of death three separate times. Each time, Marian and their sons received the call every family dreads, asking them to prepare for goodbye. But each time, Teddy remained.

As he slowly began waking, unable to speak and barely able to move, members of the hospital staff began thanking him for giving them hope during one of the darkest seasons they had ever experienced.

Imagine that—a man who couldn’t even speak had become a living reminder to others not to give up.

And his family never stopped standing beside him. Teddy speaks with deep gratitude for Marian’s unwavering faith and for Tyler, who stepped forward to care for his father’s extensive wounds so he could finally come home.

“My man Tyler stepped up,” Teddy wrote. “Tyler has truly turned into the man the Lord made him to be.”

More than five years later, Teddy still lives with serious physical challenges. The 59 year old man who once bench-pressed nearly 400 pounds now struggles to climb stairs. His miracle didn’t end with every difficulty disappearing.

But his faith remains. “God allows what He allows,” Teddy wrote. “I believe He is allowing this for a greater good.”

And perhaps one glimpse of that greater good is Michelle, the compassionate nurse who faithfully cared for Teddy during those long months. When Teddy later learned that she didn’t believe in Jesus, his heart immediately turned toward her salvation. “The Lord chose you, Michelle, to help save me,” he told her. “Now it is me that will help save you!” He continues praying for her salvation.

Tipping Point family, maybe you’ve been praying for a miracle that hasn’t happened the way you hoped. Maybe you’re carrying a burden no one else can see. Please don’t lose heart.

Teddy’s story reminds us that God’s faithfulness isn’t measured by how quickly He changes our circumstances. Sometimes the miracle is discovering that Jesus has been walking beside us every step of the way.

Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop trusting. The same Lord who guided Teddy home is still guiding you. What a God!

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Have you seen God move in your life? We would be honored to hear your testimony and celebrate what He has done. Share your story with us at testimonies@tippingpointnow.com. And if you’re walking through a difficult season and need prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone. Our Tipping Point Prayer Team would be honored to stand with you in prayer. Send your prayer request to prayer@tippingpointnow.com.