Growing
up, I was a very shy and quiet little girl who loved music. I was raised in the
church, functioned in several positions, and knew church protocol. Every
Sunday, we were there and at least once more during the week. There were a lot
of revivals, and we would attend church for the entire week.
I
come from a family of singers and musicians on both my dad’s and my mom’s side.
At an early age, my sister and I were singing songs such as, “How Big is God.”
I continued to sing in church for many years during my youth because that’s
what you did where I came from. I sang in the choir. I sang about God and heard
about God, but I did not know God. I did not have a relationship with him. I
had felt God’s presence before, especially when I would sing to Him, but I
really didn’t know the God that I was singing to or about.
From
a child until well into young adulthood, I was kind of a loner. I felt like I
was different from most of the people I was around, but I didn’t understand
why. I wasn’t a very sociable person. Music was my passion, but even when I
would sing in church, I would close my eyes and not look at the audience
because of my shyness. In my latter teenage years, the Lord began to draw my
heart and reveal Himself to me. At the age of 19, I gave my heart to God and
started to develop a relationship with Him. I was very eager to learn more
about Him. I always wanted to be in His
presence because I would have such peace, joy and contentment.
When
I became a Christian, my life was transformed, mind, body and spirit.
Everything started changing. God started showing me that He really was God. One
of the first miracles I experienced was God healing my oldest daughter when she
was around 4 years old. I was very young in Christ and didn’t have the knowledge
of intercession that I have now, but I believed in healing. A fellow sister in Christian Tracts, my daughter
Catherine, and I were out of town at a church convention. Catherine
accidentally knocked over the iron on herself, and the circle imprints from the
iron were embedded into her face. My friend and I began to pray and call on
Jesus. To our amazement, God began to remove those imprints out of my
daughter’s face, right in front of us. We never took her to the hospital, and
there weren’t any scars on her face. Watching God heal my daughter immediately
increased my faith in Him tremendously.
God
proved Himself to me again. I was driving to the mall to return an item. I
drove my dad’s car, and I was unaware my dad had been working on the exhaust
system. My sister, brother, and oldest daughter accompanied me. They waited in
the car that was running because it was the middle of winter. When I returned
to the car, my daughter was laying on the floor of the car. My sister was
unconscious, and my brother who was in the front was barely responding. I knew
something was seriously wrong but didn’t know what it was. It never occurred to
me to go to the hospital. I began
driving to my pastor’s house to pray. As I was driving, the Holy Spirit said,
“Roll the windows down.” It was winter time, and I didn’t understand why I
should roll the windows down, yet I obeyed. I made it to my pastor’s house, and
they prayed with me. God blessed all three of them. We went to the hospital
afterwards to get them checked, and everyone was fine. I later asked God about
that situation. He replied, “Be still and know that I am God.”
I
have always loved to sing, but God had deposited in me a gift to write songs. I
was writing songs for a while without realizing I was even doing it. God had a
divine purpose to use me to usher a spirit of worship in the midst of His
people. He has birthed songs in me that exemplified His true character and His
great love for us.
I am
no longer the quiet and shy person I used to be. God has given me a confidence
I never knew existed. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I
now know that I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. I have been
blessed to minister this wonderful gospel message through the avenue of music
for many years. I now sing in the spirit and with an understanding of Who God
really am. Not only do I sing to and for Him, but I have learned to worship him.
Learning to worship God has catapulted my life and my relationship with Him
into an entirely different dimension.
Just
when I finally became comfortable singing in front of audiences, God made a
shift and started positioning me to declare and preach His word. I was very
uncomfortable with that. It definitely was NOT my preference. I said, “God, you
know how long it took me to accept my calling to sing, now this?” In spite of
how I felt, I obeyed. Now, I realize what a privilege and honor it is to proclaim
a life-changing gospel that transforms people’s lives. I am so blessed that God
empowers me to share good news with people that feel like good news doesn’t
even exist. I have had the privilege of ministering at prisons, monthly at the
Salvation Army, nursing homes, etc. Sharing the good news that God loves us and
wants us to have abundant life brings me great joy.
I
have been married for 32 years. My husband and I have four beautiful and
anointed children. God called my husband to pastor the ministry that He birthed
through us called Pure Gospel Tracts. Our children work
with us in the ministry. God continuously blesses me and my family. He
continues to reveal more and more of Himself to us daily. I am grateful to Him
for what He is presently doing in my life, and I am excited about my future in
Him
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