The Journey

Only through the experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. -----Helen Keller

One Sunday morning, I walked into the front of the church and accepted an invitation for an altar call.  For years, I cried pools of tears and endured countless rejections.  I lived through all types of disappointments and hurts: that were inflicted by myself and by others. Who would have thought that everything I have gone through in life would prepare me for the moment I am standing in? That altar call would position me for such a time like this. I could remember there was a time I could not see anything but my grief and my pain. On that Sunday,  as soon as I made it to the front of the church, Deacon Maria Torres met me and she put her hand on my shoulder and began praying. I was sobbing uncontrollably and she hugged me and whispered in my ear, “You ask God, ‘Why’? God says you will know why. Everything you have gone through and is going through is for a purpose. You don’t know why now, but you will. Trust God.” I remember hearing those words but honestly, I did not want to receive them. It did not take away my pain. It did not take away my desire to restore my family at that moment. However, that was 11 years ago and I can say that today I now understand WHY!

See God has a plan for all his children to enter the Promise Land full of milk and honey. But there is a journey connected to it. In that journey is where God will purge and refine you of anything that is preventing the fruits of the spirit in your life. See, the journey is where my faith grew. The journey is where I learned to trust God with all my mind, body, and soul. The journey perfected my worship. The journey perfected my praise. The journey molded my character. The journey grew my faithfulness. It taught me I can be broken and still be effective. On this journey as people I loved walked away, when the dust settled I was still standing with breath in my lungs. It was the journey that taught me my identity is in Christ and Christ alone. It was the journey that taught me I would never need to compromise myself or my values for the sake of love.  When I see myself and my situations through the eyes of Jesus no matter what I’m up against I will, not be defeated. I’m not fighting people, it's principalities that I’m at war with but Jesus took me on a path that equipped me to fight and win. I learned what walking by faith and not by sight truly means. I can go on and on about THE JOURNEY.

My journey was hard and heartbreaking, I have the bruises and scars to prove it. This journey showed me I had more in me than what I had against me—the journey. I invite you to come along with me and learn about my journey, together we will join hands and hearts knowing that greater is he who is in us than who is in the world. My journey was hard, but it also shows that if you would just trust God, he can make your crooked paths straight. If I could be sincere, God was the only one I could count on this very scary journey. God showed me the crushing is not the end.

Sincerely,

Myra

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. ---- Helen Keller