From Sickness to Surrender: Gigi St. Hilaire | Texas

Today, we’re sharing the testimony of Gigi St. Hilaire.

Gigi, tell us about when you first started walking with Christ.

I grew up around faith, but my true walk with Christ began in the early 2000s when I intentionally gave my life to Him. At the time, I was a young mother and newly married. My understanding of God before then had been shaped by religion and fear. I knew about God, but I didn’t know Him personally.

I reached a point where I realized that if I wanted clarity about who I was and what my purpose in life truly was, I had to know God for myself. That decision led me to fully surrender my life to Him. I was baptized, began serving at my church, and committed to living under His Lordship.

That season was profound. I was eager to study Scripture, spend time with God, and step into the gifts He had placed inside me. My faith felt alive and intentional, and I was deeply aware that my life was no longer my own.

Was there a season when your faith was tested or stretched in a significant way? What was happening during that time?

My faith has been tested many times throughout my life. With years comes experience, and with experience comes valleys. However, the most significant season of testing came in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, when I was diagnosed with aggressive stage 2 breast cancer.

My family and I had moved to Texas just a year prior and were still adjusting to a new life. I had recently rededicated my life to Christ and felt ready to walk fully in my purpose again. Then suddenly, everything shifted. The diagnosis came quickly and unexpectedly, during a time when the world itself felt unstable.

I was overwhelmed with uncertainty, fear, anger, and confusion. My faith and emotions felt scattered. It wasn’t just a testing of my faith, but also my husband’s and my children’s. We were navigating illness, isolation, and spiritual warfare all at once.

In that season, how did your view of God, yourself, or your life begin to change?

I never believed that God had abandoned me, but for a period of time, I believed He was punishing me. I silently viewed Him as unloving and harsh for allowing such a diagnosis to enter my life. I carried guilt and condemnation from earlier years when I had chosen to walk away from God and live life on my own terms.

When I returned to Christ after moving to Texas, I was still learning how to surrender that guilt. Then the cancer diagnosis came, and I remember thinking, This must be my punishment.

For a moment, I didn’t like myself. I felt unworthy. But that mindset didn’t last long. The diagnosis forced a decision. I could either cling to the lies I believed about God and myself and allow both cancer and condemnation to defeat me, or I could release everything to God and allow Him to heal me not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally.

I chose life. I chose surrender. And in that suffering, God began shaping me in ways I never imagined possible.

Who or what was your biggest source of support during that season?

My greatest source of support was my husband and my children. That season taught us an important lesson: not everyone is meant to walk with you through every season of life.

We learned that some love has limits, while other love is unconditional. I chose to focus on those who stood with us, prayed with us, and carried us through that season, rather than on who wasn’t present.

That clarity brought peace and strength.

Looking back, which lesson from that season continues to guide you today?

The lesson that continues to guide me is this: no circumstance, no emotion, and no situation I face is too much for God.

He knows every thought, every fear, and every part of who I am. He sees my humanity fully, and He still loves me. He still chooses me. That truth anchors me. It reminds me that I never have to perform for God or hide my pain from Him. I can come to Him fully as I am, knowing that His love is not conditional on my perfection.

For someone who may be walking through a challenging season right now, what advice would you offer?

Acknowledge the pain you are experiencing. Don’t rush past it or pretend it doesn’t exist. If you are angry, acknowledge that. If you are sad, acknowledge that. God is not intimidated by your emotions.

Healing begins with honesty. Give yourself permission to feel, and then invite God into those feelings. You don’t have to have the right words or the perfect prayer. Simply being honest with Him is enough. Surrender doesn’t mean you are giving up. It means you are trusting God with what you were never meant to carry alone.

How is God using you in this current season, and what are you up to nowadays?

In this season, God is using every part of my journey, from sin to salvation, to help guide others into their true identity in Him. What began as a women’s ministry has grown into a full nonprofit organization serving women, men, children, and families through RepurposedLIFE Kingdom Building Network.

I steward several mission-led ministries and businesses, serve as a personal development coach, and am currently working on multiple books. God has allowed me to walk in my calling with both grace and authority. I’m deeply grateful for what He continues to build through this work and excited for what lies ahead.