Many of you may not know me well enough to know that doing this is a big step for me. Believe it or not behind that big personality is a girl who has a hard time stepping out and doing things that are out of my comfort zone, so I’m very appreciative for being asked to do this because it presents me with a challenge that will lead to growth.
When the time came for me to begin
writing, I wasn’t sure what it was that I wanted to write about. I prayed about
it, asked God what it was that He wanted me to say, what He wanted me to tell.
It was then that I heard His voice saying, “tell a story”.
There was once a woman who was
married at a young age. After a year and a half of marriage she gave birth to
her first child. Despite any fears that she had, she continuously lifted up her
unborn child in prayer, always praying that he/she would be born healthy, happy
and thriving. When her child was born she was ecstatic, her little girl was
finally here, but shortly afterwards it was then that she learned that there
was a problem. Her child was born with a birth defect, a defect that would
change her life forever. She was born with one leg shorter than the other, the
top of her right big toe touched the top of her left knee, and she was also
missing a bone in her leg. The mother, however, never let her child’s anomaly
surmount the love she had for her. That mother instantly became very protective
over her child. She, as well, became determined to find answers to what was
going on with her child. At weeks old, she, along with her husband took her
child to DuPont Hospital in Delaware. After a series of x-rays, it was time to
meet the doctor. The doctor came in, took one short look at the x-rays and
uttered one word: AMPUTATION. When the parents asked why, the doctor simply
said that that was the only answer, for the child would never be able to run,
walk, ride a bike, let alone crawl unless her leg was amputated. The parents
refused and left. When they returned home, the mother immediately dropped to
her knees and prayed. She prayed for guidance, she prayed for strength. Shortly
after, through the suggestion of a family friend, the mother was referred to a
doctor at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Before the appointment, the
mother began to pray again. Once at the appointment the doctor said he couldn’t
help her child, but he did know of another doctor who resided in Maryland that
dealt with cases such as her daughter’s. Without hesitation, the parents made
an appointment and drove to Maryland, praying the whole way there that they
would finally receive answers. After reviewing the x-rays, the doctor walked
into the room, looked at the parents and says, “God has blessed you with this
child for a reason. God also sent you here for a reason and I will do
everything in my power to help give your daughter as normal of a life as I
possibly can”. It was then the mother realized that her prayers had been
answered. God heard her prayers. Even though she sometimes felt that He wasn’t
listening, even though she sometimes questioned Him, He had always been there,
He had always been listening. It was then that she made a vow that she would
teach her child the love of God, instill the idea that He will always be there,
He will never give you more than you can bear. She from then on taught her
child to trust in God for “The LORD himself goes
before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do
not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8)”.
The child in the
story was me. I went on to prove those doctors wrong. I crawled, learned to
walk on my own and was even on the rowing team in high school. Like I said
above, my mom instilled in me the beliefs that I carry with me today. She
always reminded me that God will always be and has always been with me. I
always tell people that I wouldn’t be the person that I am and where I am in my
life today without Him. “I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13)”.
My relationship with
God hasn’t always been a strong one however. There was a time in my life when I
found myself questioning my faith in Him. In high school I suffered from a
serious bought of depression. Things in my life weren’t going well. After
seeking some help I thought things were better. I graduated high school and was
in college. If anyone has dealt with depression, you know that you can
experience a series of ups and downs over time. The spring semester my freshman
year in college I found myself facing my depression once more. I constantly
questioned who I could turn to, when the answer was there all along. Sadly, I
stopped praying, stopped turning to the one I could count on most. How could I
pray when everything in my life seems to be falling apart? How could I pray if
I keep praying for these things to better and they just keep getting worse? How
could I pray if I keep dealing with depression? I prayed for it to never come
back, but it still did. At times God would try to remind me that all I needed
to do was trust and believe. He would try to bring me back to Him but I would
ignore. I always believed that I could handle it on my own. "Trust in
the Lord with all of your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek
his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs
3:5-6)”. I never fully walked away though. I couldn’t find it
within me to do that. Even though I strayed away from Him somewhat, God never
left me and never gave up on me just like He promised. He still had a hold on
my heart and I soon found myself back on my walk with God. Immediately I saw
growth. I started seeking His face a little more. I was eager to read the word.
I strived and longed to be more like Him.
Recently
I have been faced with a few medical scares. I found myself dealing with heart
issues, tumor scares, etc. I knew the only thing I could do in this situation
in pray, it’s been instilled in me since day one. Sadly, it took for these
scares for me to realize that I can’t just pray and not put all of my faith in
God. No, I have to believe that He will do it. Just as my mom had to when I was
born. I gave it all to Him. I put all of my faith in Him and all things worked
in my favor. Every test that I had to go through so far have come back
negative.
With that
being said. Let me be an example to you all. I was born with a birth defect,
faced with possible amputation. My parents could have given up and given in but
they didn’t. They lifted me up in prayer and believed…knew that God would
answer their prayers. Remember, no matter what you are going through don’t
doubt, don’t worry, and turn to God. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 6-7).
When you pray, have faith and know He will answer.
God bless
Awesome Jordan, thanks for sharing, God is so awesome!
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