Day after day after day went by, with no phone call from the studio. I quickly realized it would have to be a miracle for my phone to ring from the CBS casting office.
In moments of uncertainty, Satan attacks us and causes us to freeze with fear and doubt, chipping away at our faith in God. Refusing to believe God would bring me this far to leave me destitute, I pressed into prayer and did everything on my end to find a job. My phone began to ring with returned calls for possible jobs, and upon answering what I thought was a call for a job, I heard a familiar voice on the other end. “Hello, Jill is that you?” It was Jill Wilson Newton, the casting director from The Young and The Restless. I was stunned as she said I had been chosen along with three other girls to screen test for the role of Ashley Abbott. I screamed and almost dropped the phone as I leaped into the air, almost hitting my head on the ceiling of my apartment. “Thank you,” I said—over and over again.
It was the day of the screen test. There was much joy to be found in my childhood, but not much financial means. It’s amazing how our perspective shifts when we mature and approach things with an attitude of gratitude. I muttered under my breath, If You don’t show up for me, God, I’m sunk. I waved to the parking attendant and spoke to the guard. Walking down those long CBS hallways I was so grateful to be in this place. Suddenly, I heard the crowd screaming on the stage across the hall, and then the famous Bob Barker saying, “Come on down; you’re the next contestant on The Price is Right.” Wow! This place is phenomenal. Am I really here?, I thought to myself.
While sitting, waiting to be called on stage and nerves mounting, I met one of the girls trying out for the same part as me. She was pretty and polished. She sized me up and began to rattle off her impressive resume; then, she asked me what I had done in film and television prior to this. She tilted her head and looked at me with a bit of disgust when I told her “nothing,” and with a blank stare she asked, “So how’d you get here?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “God. God got me here.”
As though it was perfectly timed, I heard my name over the loudspeaker. “Brenda Epperson, to stage one for blocking with the director.” What’s blocking? I thought. I was met by the director who told me where to move and stand when I said certain lines.
Catching my blank stare, he said, “Write what I’m telling you in your script.”
I took a deep breath and tried to absorb all the information thrown at me as I frantically took notes on the script. As excitement, fear and stress beat my heart out my chest, I heard a small voice in my spirit say, “You were meant for this!”
Truth invaded my thoughts. I’m more than a conqueror; I’m a singer. I have performed many times under pressure, in front of many people and on many stages. I’ve got this. … We’ve got this. … No, wait. You’ve got this God. Psalm 5 came to my mind.
Yes, I thought to myself. Sing, sing for joy.
I sang under my breath, and the anxious thoughts melted away as peace began to flood my heart and soul. Over the studio loudspeaker, I heard “Brenda to the stage.” I had no idea what to expect. I had never done anything like this before, and my feet felt like lead as I walked down the stairs to the stage. But all the while I felt unrelenting joy.
God, thank You for this opportunity; I know You are with me. When it was time for the first few words to come out of my mouth, everything flowed. Other than a few minor issues with my position on the set, by the grace of God the scene went well, better than I could have imagined. With a sigh of relief, it was over. I heard “cut,” and the rest remained in God’s hands.
By the time the sun rose the following day, my phone rang. The casting director called to say, “Congratulations! I’m talking to the new Ashley Abbott on The Young and The Restless.” The magnitude of the situation sunk into my soul. Both in tears and laughter, I got down on my knees on my small apartment floor and thanked God for this incredible miracle.
What did all this mean? Could I live up to the standards and expectations without having any formal acting training? My first day of work was daunting and filled with an overwhelming amount to knowledge. I learned I had much to overcome and understood I was unqualified for this new position, but all the while, I knew I had something that allowed me to gain this momentum. I knew that “something” was God.
You may feel as though you do not have unique abilities or aren’t in a position to do anything great for God, but God is great and living on the inside of you. He is a God of supernatural miracles, who has made us all in His image with unique abilities and purpose. As we trust in God and communicate with Him, we build our relationship and faith in Him. He will ignite a new flame that sparks direction and purpose, bringing a fantastic awakening in your life and the world. After all, the definition of a miracle is an event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws.
Editor’s Note: Want to hear more from Brenda Epperson-Moore? Watch this Charisma News video update as she discusses her new book, Rise Up.{eoa}
Charisma Media Staff 
James Lasher 
