It's been a while since my last blog, I thought it was time to give a little update.
Over the last six years, I have been traveling a journey that I never thought or imagined myself traveling. However through it all I have had some of the most challenging but yet greatest moments of my life.
Six years ago and within 2 months after graduating high school and 3 months after signing a full ride 4 year soccer scholarhsip to Bryan College, I was diagnosed with Auto-immune hepatitis which is where your body thinks your liver is a foreign cell and destroys itself.. This was a complete devastation to not only myself but my family as well. There was no explanation to how or why I contracted this rare disease. After spending 10 days in the hospital and having every test run in the book, they could find nothing wrong, mainly because I HAD NO SYMPTOMS whatsoever, besides my eyes and skin turning yellow. My doctors told me six years ago, that I was at deaths door, with my liver levels being in the 1500's and the normal is 40, the options were either a liver transplant or steroids and a immune suppressant which created my body to not be able to fight off infections like it should. I opted out of the liver transplants and started medication immediately. The doctors said there was no cure for what I had, and that I should of been in a coma already. However I serve a God that is more mighty and powerful than any doctor, or nurse. Even though in that moment my life changed forever, as I heard the words "you can no longer play soccer at the college level" which rang in my ear over and over again. As I heard the words" we don't know what tomorrow will hold"... I began to pray harder and harder. I knew I would fight this battle until I saw my victory. So My journey began...... My Faithful Journey..
To all my Family, friends, and people that have come across my path during this journey. I just want to express my gratitude and thanks for the many prayers, support, love, Encouragement, and countless moments of joy, peace, comfort and laughter than you brought to my life. I am forever grateful. But more than anything I want to thank the one person who has walked this journey with me, who has carried the load when I couldn't, who has cried with me, laughed with me, prayed for me and with me, encouraged me when I wanted to give up, loved me unconditionally, supported me, was always there as my friend but also my Mother. Thank you Mom. You are my rock, I admire your strentgh, dignity, and integrity that you show each and everyday. I love you more than words can say.
Now here I am six years later..... I have graduated from college with a B.S in Human Development and will graduate again this July with my Masters in Teaching. After 2 and half years of dating I am engaged to my best friend. To the very man of my dreams that I never thought I would find. I thought that my hopes, dreams, and prayers of waiting for the one, for the one who had saved himself as I have for him would be an impossibility. But I was wrong on all levels. While on my faithful journey that God had allowed me and chose for me to travel down. I met a young man on a trip to Paraguay that changed my life forever, not just the trip but the people. Tyler captured my heart and I knew in the beginning moments of meeting him that I would marry him one day. I am blessed, happy, and honored that I have a man that loves me unconditionally, but more than anything that I have man that loves God with all his heart and seeks his face. So I am counting down the days until I say 'I DO"... In just a short 7 months I will marry my best friend in all the world. God is faithful!
Well as I am beginning the next chapter of my life and I am turning the pages in my book I am reminded of this journey that I have traveled over these past several years, There have been countless moments when I have wanted to give up, when I didn't think I could keep going. There were days and sometimes still have been days that I would question God as to why? Why me? Why do I have this disease that literally turned my life upside down, but at the same time changed my life in so many ways that has helped to shape and mold me into the woman of God I am today. There were many times throughout this journey where doctors said you wont make it, you should be in a coma, you'll never get over this disease, and that they really had no answers. But For 6 years I have prayed, and prayed and prayed. My mom has prayed, my grandmother, my brother, my sister, my friends, and countless people have spent hours, days, months, and years praying for me. Praying for my life. Praying for my healing. In the midst of this journey there have been countless people that have given me words of encouragement, and prayed over my life, through these prayers and moments God promised me my healing. He told me that it would not come in my timing but that I would see my complete healing but I had to TRUST God and I had to let him be my friend. This was a very hard thing to do at times, trust is never easy. Trust isn't easy when the outcomes seem the opposite, but yet in the midst of the BIGGEST or SMALLEST storm, we must trust God, because he will never fail us, but he is always faithful. Sometimes when it rains in pours, and sometimes when in rains you must not wait for the storm to pass, but you must get out and DANCE in the rain. Many days I just had to dance.
I can stand before you today and attest to God's amazing, incredible faithfulness, as well as God's impeccable timing. Today I can FINALLY say that I AM NO LONGER ON ANY MEDICATION AT ALL FOR MY LIVER, AND MY LEVELS HAVE ALMOST BEEN NORMAL FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR!!!!!!!! This is God's amazing faithfulness in my life. There are no words other than FAITHFUL. I told my mom just the other day that so many things have been falling into place my life already in this new year. The number 12 represents foundation! I said I believe that this is my year. That the foundation of my life is beginning again, as I begin a new chapter of marriage and teaching and life with my best friend. This is the foundation of my life and it is beginning with God's promises of healing unfolding before my very eyes! It may seem my faithful journey is coming to an end, but yet it is just beginning. God has been preparing me for the amazing things that are ahead. I know that one day I will share my testimony to the nations. I know that as I continue to write my story each day, as I continue to leave the footprints of my life wherever I go, I know that God has called me to testify of his greatness and to share My Story. My Journey. My FAITHFUL JOURNEY!!!
I leave you with this song that has carried me though some of the deepest darkest hours.
Desert Song by: Hillsong
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be empited again
The seed I've recieved I will sow
