Jesus makes a way

Ellie Plumptre shares her testimony of God’s faithfulness in tough times

In the years after finishing school, I felt like I was in the wilderness. I was lost, had no clear direction or purpose, I was struggling with my identity and my mental health. One morning, whilst I was working my part-time job at a cinema, the Lord met me in an incredible way. A couple I was serving unexpectedly asked to pray for me. They spoke promises and truth over me. I encountered the Holy Spirit through this couple and their words before continuing to serve customers coming to the cinema.

A few months later, I felt compelled to apply for a Midwifery course, but I didn’t have the right A levels and UCAS applications had closed a few months prior. I was in my bedroom playing ‘All His Promises are Yes and Amen’ by Chris Tomlin, [1] when an email popped up to say that, against all odds, I had been offered an interview. The Lord had made a way in the wilderness. When I had not seen a way out of my current circumstances, when I could not see the plans the Lord had for me, he had made a way.

The course started in January 2020, a year that was characterised by lockdowns, restrictions, and online learning. It was tumultuous, unexpected, and challenging. God had called me to something that, at times, felt unattainable and most of the time, entirely unenjoyable. Over those three years, I experienced loss and grief, failed multiple exams and had to defer the submission of my dissertation due to overwhelm. And yet, ‘All His Promises are Yes & Amen’.

When I was in the wasteland, the Lord provided for my every need. In those difficult moments, I could trust in the Lord’s plans for me. I could have hope for the future, just as he had spoken over me in that cinema and again in my bedroom. ‘And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.’ (Romans 5:3-4). When we navigate our own personal wildernesses and wastelands, we can hold on to a hope that is unshakeable, firmly rooted in exactly who we know God to be.

Ellie Plumptre is a newly qualified midwife