For with each word I'm glorifying
God for the awesome things that He has done. It was said from the lips of man;
doctors, nurses,
and family that death was certain, but God said not so. Thanks
be to God for the things He has done. He has not only allowed me to live, and
to survive;
He has allowed me to thrive, for this test has enabled me to be a
greater servant. During my darkest days, the Lord ministered to me and
showed
me more about Himself than I've ever known.
Even the most gracious person comes
to realize the loss of personal freedoms and independence when life altering
events take place.
This letter is to serve as a testament of the events that
have affected my life over the past five years. For it was five years ago that
the whirlwind
of sickness and disease started causing a major upheaval in my
otherwise peaceful world. It began with my husband being diagnosed with
diabetes and some major heart problems that almost took him away from me. No
sooner than he began to get back on track than I got sick.
For months doctors
grappled with the symptoms of an elusive disease. I was given every test
imaginable and each came back with
inconclusive results. Meanwhile I suffered
with agonizing pain in my joints, the inability to digest food and fevers that
plagued my body every night.
Sometimes the only time I would be able to sleep,
would be if my husband held me. He would lay hands on me and the pain would run
to another
part of my body and the fever would subside. Similarly when the
doctors would voice a suspicion, we would pray against it and the test would be
negative.
I have always been a strong
independent woman, able to come and go as I pleased. I must say that this has
been the most difficult part of
my journey thus far. Once vibrant and full of
life, I was reduced to merely skin and bones having lost nearly one hundred
pounds and the strength
to carry out day to day living. Finally after months of
tests and endless visits to specialists (Cancer, Rheumatologist,
Ophthalmologist,
Hematologist and bone specialists) a name was given to the
mysterious disease. The name that was given was Sarcoidosis, a disease
that
attacks the immune system and most vital organs.
My road to recovery was bumpy. How
can you recover what you’ve never discovered? As I began to fight my way back
with the help
of my faith and the support of my family, purpose was being
realized in my life. I have since purposed in my heart to share that
strength
with others, particularly women who are caught in the cycle of poverty,
depression, infirmity, and the results of poor decisions.
Through this experience, the Lord
has birthed a ministry: Beauty For Ashes to empower women to
rise from the ashes of past
mistakes and past hurts. It started as a fellowship of women, some from the
Christian Community and others who had never
set foot inside of a church. It
was simply a time to build each other up and simply talk. The women began to
meet monthly, not just
another church meeting but a fellowship where their
total needs were addressed: mind body physical - food clothing and shelter.
I’ve enjoyed working with the women who all come from different walks of life.
We are introducing a whole new way of life to these
women letting them know
that they can walk with their heads held high. This experience has also cultivated
an anointing that
comes from surviving the test. I had to be crushed in order
for the oil of the anointing to flow through me like the oil
that flows from
Aaron’s beard.
That, my sister, is what Beauty For Ashes is all about:
helping women; women of every color; women of every background make the
journey
from a life of ashes to a life full of the beauty of God. My
prayer is that you will be restored and that you will get your inheritance!
