There was a time in my life when life was not what I expected. It began in 1993 when I collapsed at my job. At that time, I didn’t know how I was going to survive the ordeal. And after it was over, I couldn’t see how I was going to get up from the calamity of the ordeal. But one day, I had a conversation with the Lord that went something like this. “How am I going to get up from here?”

 

His reply was, “I am making you a public speaker, and I am giving you a healing ministry.”

 

My reaction was one of utter shock and amazement. I didn’t know the first thing about public speaking and even less about healing. How was that supposed to happen from where I was? I just couldn’t understand. But understanding was not the real issue; trusting God was.

 

During my time in the wilderness, I had an intimate thought that I shared with no one: “I feel like Job” (see Job). I was sicker than I had ever been in my life; I had lost my ability to return to work; therefore, I was fired. I lost my income, which I had worked so hard just to maintain. I lost my apartment, which I had just moved into; I lost my confidence, and I almost lost my life.

 

When I looked back, I realized I had worked all those years and accomplished absolutely nothing. I was up at 3:00 a.m. from Monday through Friday. I was at the bus-stop at 4:30 a.m. traveling by bus and light rail, just to get to work by 9:00 a.m. I was pre-planning how my desk would be set up, just so I could be organized for the tasks ahead.

 

This was my first proper job. I had open-heart surgery at 18, a baby at 19, went to night school to obtain my GED (General Education Diploma) at 24, and attended school for word processing certification at 25. Four months later, I began my job doing data entry. I worked my butt off just to get there, and even more so just to stay there. Then it was over!

 

To be continued.