A New Journey

Five years ago, I had to withdrawl from the graduate social work program at Radford University.  I was devastated and felt like a failure and a quitter.  However, deep inside I knew that it was the right thing to do.  At the time, I was struggling with an incurable illness called Porphyria Cutanea Tarda.  Horrible illness (not that there is a good one).  There was no cure, there was only an option of getting a regular bi-weekly phlebotomy.  My veins never wanted to cooperate and they were only able to do almost a half of one.  Instead of the pint of blood they were suppose to take, after an hour and a half they were only able to get a little under a half of a pint.  After this, I was so weak from the sickness and the phlebotomy that I could not even walk.  In fact, when I got home, my husband had to carry me inside and lay me on the couch.  I was broken and felt hopeless.  I knew that the stress and requirements of school were too demanding and I felt like the sickness had won a battle that I was not willing to quit fighting yet.  Therefore, I heart brokenly withdrew myself from a dream: the graduate social work program.  A lot has happened since then.  God had a different plan.  Isn't that usually the way it is?  We want something so bad, feel defeated, disappointed, hurt, hopeless and then time passes and God slowly begins to reveal His plan for you.  Since that time in my life, God has healed me of that incurable illness, my husband gave his life to Christ and was called into ministry, he is now an ordained minister, we have started Gervase Ministries, God gave us a son, and now He is leading me on a new journey.  I'm very excited about this new journey.  You see, even though I did very well in my undergrad and grad programs, I still struggled inside with a lot that I was being taught.  A lot that I was being taught and heard in class, went against the very being that I was.  My spirit was unsettled.  In my undergrad, it seemed that almost every class there was some dicussion about the validity of God.  I remember time after time, God was trashed and Christian beliefs were slandered.  I have always wanted to finish my masters degree, but knew that I did not want to do it in a secular setting.  Therefore, God has begin to open doors and set me on a new path for school.  I can gladly say that I am enrolled in a masters program and my degree is Clinical Christian Couneling.  My spirit is at peace about this.  I no longer feel that unsettling feeling when I hear people talk about answering your call, do what God has planned for you, use your skills that He has put in you, this is my new journey.  Remember, there is ALWAYS hope in Jesus, because ALL things are possible with HIM.