🕊️ “Turning Blessings into Burdens: A Testimony of Provision and Perception”
Story Time!
This one’s got a bit of a political twist, which is not usually my lane. I’m a private person by nature. But when God blesses me — whether in ways that are loud, quiet, or even a little uncomfortable — I share it. I tell people. Because I want to testify to the incredible things Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, has done in my life.
This time, it started with something simple: address verification for one of my children’s schools. I had to gather all my documents and print out my PSEG bill. That’s when I realized — I hadn’t paid my electric bill for the entire year. Not once. It wasn’t on purpose. Honestly, staying on top of tasks like that is something I really struggle with (maybe I’ll write another post about how my conditions show up in daily life). But at that moment, I was staring at a shutoff notice and an $820 balance.
So I did what anyone would do — I called PSEG to work out a payment plan. The woman I spoke to gave me another number. That number gave me another number. Then I got redirected to a website, where I had to fill out a form and get a reference number. The whole time, I thought this was just part of the process to avoid disconnection.
But when I called the first lady back and gave her the number, she told me I had actually qualified for a “Fresh Start” assistance program that New Jersey offers. They were contributing $800 toward my bill. That left me with just $20 to pay.
I was stunned. What an unexpected, undeserved, perfectly timed blessing. I hadn’t asked for it. I didn’t even know it existed. But God knew. And He provided. I love Jesus so much. He is so real. 🙌🏽
Naturally, I shared this testimony with my best friend, who I’ll call Mark. He seemed happy for me at first… but over time, I started to sense something else beneath the surface. The enemy is sneaky like that — and no one, not even those closest to us, is immune to being influenced.
About two weeks later, I was walking through Costco, talking to Mark on the phone, and he made a snide comment about how electricity prices in New Jersey were going up 20%. I agreed it was a steep jump and asked what he thought the reason was. That’s when he said, matter-of-factly, that it was because of people like me — folks who got electric credits — and that the price hike was to cover that cost.
I was floored.
So I calmly asked where he heard that. It sounded off. Usually I know about this kind of policy stuff before he does. I joked and asked if he got it from a Reddit thread. Close — it was from X (formerly Twitter). As if that’s a valid news source.
I had to gently call him out. I told him he shouldn’t repeat social media posts as if they’re gospel truth — and that blaming poor people for price hikes without any real evidence is dangerous and dehumanizing.
That moment was bigger than just a misinformed comment. It revealed how deeply cognitive distortions can worm their way into our thinking — even among friends. It was the enemy’s subtle attempt to reframe my blessing as a burden. To turn God’s provision into something I should feel ashamed of. And worst of all? He didn’t even realize it.
This is exactly why I created this blog.
To expose that kind of thinking.
To lift the veil.
To save people like Mark — good people who’ve unknowingly been taught to see compassion as weakness, and blessings as injustice.
Let’s be vigilant.
Let’s be bold in sharing our testimonies.
But let’s also be wise in watching for the ways the enemy tries to twist them.
Because not every smile is support.
Not every “congratulations” is celebration.
And not every blessing will be seen as one by those still living in bondage.