Our Journey. Episode 3.

When I was 10 years old, I attended a church service on a Tuesday night with my mom. We always had to go to church; we had to go at 11 am on Sundays and again at 7 pm for Gospel service… we went during the week on Tuesdays (Bible Studies), Thursdays (prayer meetings) and Fridays (youth service) – rain or shine… tired or faint… did I say always? It was our norm. This particular Tuesday night, I was at church with my sister and our peers and somehow I fell asleep during the service – let’s just say that I was really… really tired 😓. In between dozes, I woke up to see Kerry and some of our peers moving towards the front of the church to sit on the front row… naturally, I did what any little sister would do… I got up and followed without a clue about why they were going! This impromptu action reminds me of how we should respond when the Holy Spirit prompts us to do something – without questioning or second guessing ourselves – just follow His lead! It turned out that those of us who were moving to sit on the front bench were invited to commit ourselves to following Jesus through water baptism. After I found out, I was too timid to go back to my seat and decided to give it a try; I’m so glad that I did! Over the years, Jesus helped me to honor my commitment to Him; He is a God of His word and He wants us to always try to honor our commitments no matter how young or old we are.

One of the challenges that Kerry faced while in the hospital was an attack on her mind. Her speech was sometimes delayed when she spoke and there were times when it seemed like she was trapped within her own mind battling forces that wanted to destroy her. Kerry was unable to remember some basic things and sometimes she had trouble recognizing us. The high cortisol levels in her body made her emotionally unstable and to complicate the turbulence, in July 2019, the doctors told her that her cancer was incurable. The enemy repeatedly used this diagnosis to demotivate and bring discouragement to our family. There were moments when we really broke down; there were tears, sleepless and long nights, there were even times when we felt powerless. God used this to remind us that His grace is sufficient for us for His power is made perfect in weakness; it is when we are weak then we are strong in Him (2 Corinthians 12:9). In mercy, God sent people – some whom we never even knew – to pray, support and encourage us. Our immediate relatives and extended church families in New York, Florida, Canada, Jamaica, London and many other places began to intervene on our behalf. We found strength through their prayers, support and through the Word of God.

Are we worried? Not anymore. God has given us peace and like David, we now say:

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 55: 22

Was there a time when you felt that you couldn’t make it without God’s help and the support of a community whether family, friends or even strangers? How did it turn out? Share your story with us in the comments below and let’s build each other’s faith; For with God, nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37). In ‘Our Journey, Episode 4,’ I will share with you the road to attempted chemotherapy and the unexpected outcome. Until then, walk good.