I was christened when I was a baby and was raised in a house where we called ourselves believers. We didn’t go to church except for the fact that the Girl Scouts met in one of the rooms, and on a rare occasion when I walked my little brother. When I was in high school I found so many other things to occupy my time that I truly lost focus. In college I was invited to join some friends at church, but I didn’t want to give up partying or living with my boyfriend, so I always came up with an excuse.
I married my boyfriend, and almost immediately he started cheating on me. I was also informed, after several years of trying, that I was unable to have children. I remember promising God that I would attend church if He would let me have children. A year and half later I became pregnant. I was so excited! I told my husband about my promise and he just laughed at me. My pregnancy was very difficult and my baby boy was born by emergency C-section six weeks early, in order to save us both.
Again, I felt a pull to go to church and tried a few times, but when my husband came up with several excuses, I gave up.
Just before Christmas 2007, my grandfather died and 2008 became a very difficult year. In March, my second son was born, and two weeks later, my father went into the hospital with a massive heart attack and never came home. My husband left to be with his best friend’s wife, and escrow closed on our new house.
I was left alone with a mortgage and two babies.
With all the men I had trusted in my life gone; I began to look up.
It was then I truly found God.
He gave me the strength to move on.
As soon as my divorce was final, I enrolled in nursing school.
Even with raising two little boys on my own, working full-time, and going to school full-time in an accelerated program, I never felt overwhelmed. Miraculously enough, I never got sick. During this time I began attending church, and my boys flourished. They asked to go constantly. How could I say no?
At a church event, I met a girl who needed to rent a room, and thankfully I had one available. Since then, she has become one of my dearest friends and helped me grow personally and in my faith.
During this time, my mom helped me with babysitting and God provided the rest.
We always had a roof over our heads,
food in our bellies, and
our utilities on.
When my car broke down, I was able to replace it quickly without missing school.
Small things that pointed to a very big God!
Proverbs 3:5-8 always comforted me, helping me face the unknown without fear:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make
straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn
away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your
bones.
After God helped me graduate and pass my boards, He blessed our little family
with an amazing godly man. After my divorce, my friends told me to write down what I wanted in my next husband.
When I met Michael, I felt as if God had taken my list
and checked off all the boxes.
He is an amazing dad and a great husband.
It hasn’t been easy. We’ve had some very challenging moments in our marriage, but with God at our center, we will make it through and will continue growing as a couple, best friends, and as a family.
God has always provided for our family.
A few months after we were married, I started having breathing problems and went from running in 5ks to being unable to climb the stairs without several breaks.
The doctor found a hole in my heart that was growing large, making my heart unable to circulate oxygenated blood through my body. While at work one day, I started having numbness in my left arm and vice-like pain across my back. A coworker of mine (it pays to work with nurses) immediately took me to the hospital, where I stayed a week for testing. I was diagnosed with a mini stroke and possible heart attack. I needed surgery, and because of my worsening condition, the surgery date was hastened.
I was terrified until the assistant pastor at our church surprised us while I was waiting to be wheeled in for surgery. From the moment he prayed over me, I felt complete peace and knew that God was in control.
The heart surgery was a success, and my recovery went smoothly!
After I was cleared by the cardiologist, we decided to try for another addition to our family. My OB/GYN was honest and told me that there was a chance I wouldn’t be able to have another child due to ovarian cysts. After praying and fasting, I became pregnant!
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2
The pregnancy was complicated and accompanied with high blood pressure and I developed gestational diabetes.
Through all of this we trusted and asked for prayer from our family and church.
Our baby was born three years ago, four weeks premature.
He came home just in time for Christmas and our oldest two sons tell him every Christmas that he was the greatest Christmas gift they have ever received!
Even though all three boys were premature, they have all grown completely healthy and so loving.
They are truly gifts from God!
Since then my mother, aunt, and brother have all returned to church with
us and my brother, mom, and my oldest two boys have all been baptized.
I know without fail that God has
always prevailed.
With His provisions, I am so excited to face the future!
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to Him with my song.
Psalm 28:7
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