Darkness.

Nothing but darkness.

A night without stars. No moon to light my path.

Cold fear chisels its way into my heart.

I am nothing but a wild animal trapped in a godless world. No hope, no way out. 
I am in a prison of my own creation. The ones I leave behind are the ones who left me, not understanding these bars that hold me.

A step of hope appears and dissolves as soon as my foot touches it. 
I am lost. How can I move on when I can't even breathe? There's no escape. There's no way out. 
I'll always be in this dark, lonely, forgotten place.

I stand at the door waiting for a knock from a friend from the past. There is no one. It is too late.

A light shines in the distance.

Bright, without even a flicker. What choice do I have but to follow it? 
It's the only thing that is firm and real.

It is filled with love, and throughout the journey, I can hear a voice calling to me. There is no sound of anger in its tone.

It is the voice of a father, calling his daughter home, not caring about whatever she has done. Just rejoicing that she is alive, and running into his arms once again.

"A Testimony" by Natalya Friesen

On January first, 2026, my family and I had the biggest fight of the year. A happy new year, right? What was supposed to be the beginning of a fresh start in people's lives became a nightmare where fires destroyed all that was good and the very memory of God.

Writing a poem or a story is a clear way for me to express my emotions. So, while the tears traveled down my face, this poem “A Testimony” was created. The amazing part about this poem is that it not only describes the mood of the situation, but also my struggles in life.

As a kid, I would scream around the house saying, “I’m not real! I’m a robot! I’m gonna die! I don’t want to die!” To any observer, in this case, my parents, it seemed as if I was sleepwalking in a nightmare. My parents tried the best they could to wake me up and sit me down to tell me about that loving father, the only one who can help me out of the darkness of fear.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10

These days, fear still hits with all of its forces, trying to take over my mind and body, but now I call on my Father God, and He destroys the enemy in only one blow. Whenever I feel like I’m not real, I immediately pray, thanking God that I'm real, that I will live and not die, that I have healing, that I am not alone, and that I have a future and a hope, and all nightmares melt away in a second.