7 DAYS OF GUEST BLOGGING [DAY 6]: Hope/Faith in my God

As I’m reading about this opportunity to blog, I’m wondering what the topic would be. I knew it was definitely something I would love to take part in despite my schedule. Nothing in my life comes before God. Even when time is limited, God will always come first. Everything else can wait. As I’m reading the email I finally come across the topic that was of God’s will for me to touch upon.  The topic just happened to be on hope and faith!! Boy did this literally bring tears from my eyes. By the way I’m writing from the airport preparing to leave to study abroad in Israel. That is a testimony in itself. Soooo.. Where do I begin?

2013 has started off wonderfully. I always tell my family and myself in the beginning of each year that it is going to be a great year. It’s important to speak things into existence. There is so much power in our words so it is very important to be aware of what we say. The Word of God says how death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21) One of the many blessings that has happened this year was completing my bachelor’s degree, which made me a January 2013 graduate. It was an amazing feeling to have my parents and the rest of my family and friends experience my accomplishment.

As the year continued to unfold everything seemed to be going well. My family was fine and so was I. There were no worries. Suddenly, I lost one of my cousins who passed away due to complications from a surgery. Mind you, he was a strong, healthy, well-rounded man. He is my father’s first cousin. He had a daughter who was very close to him. Seeing her come up to the hospital to witness the death of her father was so heart breaking. I was actually up there with my dad to give support to her and the rest of the family. I remember telling my dad, “I don’t know what I’d do if something like this were to happen to you.” The death of my cousin actually happened a few days before Christmas last year. All I could do was pray to God to give his daughter strength and a peace that goes beyond understanding. Indeed our God has done just that for her. Glory to God!

Two months later I experienced one of the most trialing times of my life. My father had an allergic reaction to a medication prescribed to him after a surgery he had undergone. My dad was rushed to the hospital. Literally as soon as he got there he stopped breathing and needed CPR performed on him. Within those five minutes of resuscitation, he lost a lot of oxygen to his brain, which left him with severe brain damage, which eventually lapsed him into a coma. At this point I didn’t know what to do. I felt alone. All I could do was pray to God. I didn’t even know what to pray for at this point. My emotions were running wild. The chaplain at the hospital was trying his best to keep my mom, my sister and I comforted but at that point I needed a miracle. Finally we got the news that they had revived my dad. Now only time would tell. My faith was tested like never before. Weeks passed and my father did not wake up. He is now in what they call a vegetative state where you are awake, but unaware of your surroundings. It is kind of hard to explain. Essentially, it is very rare to wake up from this state, but it is possible because has been done before and I am a firm believer that with God ALL things are possible. Doctors were saying he would never wake up or progress. Almost a year later my dad still has not waken up, but is stronger than ever. I can go on and on about what he and the family has been through, BUT GOD has kept us. I am and will continue to believe in a miracle for my dad until I receive an answer. God has already given me a miracle with keeping my father alive. People around me have been losing their loved ones left and right, but God said it was not my father’s time to go yet.

My faith has been strengthened on a whole other level. I trust God with my entire life now. My relationship has deepened in so many ways. He has kept me strong and given me a peace that has been able to keep me strong. My strength has come from God, but also from each prayer that has gone up for my family and myself. God has given me a peace that even if my dad were not to wake up I am confident to know that he is in the arms of our God. God has given me a responsibility to be the rock for my family. God is our rock, so I mean it in the sense of me being the one holding my immediate family together. Because of my faithfulness and hope in God he has continued to provide and give peace and joy to not only me but also those connected to me.

Trusting in him has enabled me to take leaps of faith. One in which is this trip to Israel. God knew that I had a desire to walk the land on which His son had been. Randomly I came across a trip to study in Israel with the Graduate School of Social Work at Rutgers University where I currently attend. I applied to the program late, but by the grace of God was given an opportunity to still apply. God surely gave me favor. I also took this leap of faith without the money to afford this trip. God continued to tell me to trust Him. I just had to do my part and leave the rest to Him. Sure enough the blessings began to come. God is surely a provider and has shown that to me over and over again. All I had to do was have the faith to have hope and believe that my God was going to make a way for me out of no way. Indeed he did. I am now at the airport waiting for my flight to depart to the Holy land. Thank you Jesus!!!!

During this season of my life I was single. Had been for a while. However, I did have vulnerable moments when the tragic event of my father occurred I, which I would try to fill voids with my ex. I knew the only man I needed was the one I decided to give my life to close to two years ago, God. I strayed away for a bit. God had my back and cut that tie off very quick. I knew that I was destined to be a wife and needed to be patient to wait for the man that God created just for me. I came too far to go backwards so I needed God to be strong through my weakness, which He says he will do in 2 Corinthians 12:9. God actually revealed to me that He was sending a man my way soon. This gave me an even stronger hope. Fast-forward about eight months later. God placed a man of God in my life that has shown me something that no other man could, the love of God. God led him to me at the perfect time. It was very random. For all who are believers know how random our God can be. His timing does not compare to ours. I continue to pray about our situation and ask for God’s name to always be glorified and for our relationship to grow with God as our foundation. The feeling is unexplainable. For all of you ladies in wait for God to send a man to you, please be patient. I promise you it is worth the wait. You are worth the wait. We are all daughters and sons of a mighty King and deserve God’s best!

I pray that you guys are blessed from my testimony. Love you all with the LOVE of  Jesus!

Prayer for God’s beautiful people:  Lord please help your people. They need you to meet them where they are. Take them by the hand and lead them along the path that you have marked out for them. Take away any desired or plans that are not in your will for them. Give them a peace that cannot be given to them from this world. I pray against the hand of the enemy and any schemes that he may have up his sleeve. Lord, surround them with loving people who will only promote growth in all areas of their life. Uplift them and give them a hope to persevere in whatever you have called for them to do. Give them a heart like yours and I ask that you strengthen their faith. Teach them how to love and be pleasing to you. Fill them up with all of you and remove anything that does not belong to you. Create in them a clean heart father and purify their thoughts. Renew their thoughts daily and allow them to experience your unconditional, everlasting love. In Jesus’ precious name Amen.

GUEST BLOGGER FOR DECEMBER 30TH: GIESHALA