Another 2nd chance

Hello Again all my readers! Thanks once again for stopping by to read my blog. It is a great honor and privilege to write and share my thoughts, my story and hear such positive feedback from all of you! When I first started I said I would be posting a new blog every week. WELL!! Something happened to me yesterday that I feel lead to share with you all...

Yesterday, I rose at 2am and called a close friend and told her that I just wasn't feeling right and my mind was on some things that should have bothered me in the past and didn't, but it's bothering me now. She talked with me and prayed with me (thank God for those after hour praying friends by the way :)) like she always is so willing and ready to do and when our conversation was over I went back to bed till about 6am. I called my best friend and explained to her the dream I had between 2am and 6am and how I was feeling a bit discouraged. We talked about it, I shook it off, said a prayer and proceeded to get my day started. I woke my children up, but my spirit was still disturbed. I could not figure it out. Well, time goes by and I remember a bill that I needed to pay. I log into my bank account to see that my usual direct deposit isn't there. It's already 2 days late I thought to myself, plus I haven't received other payments I was expecting. I got a bit discouraged and thought to myself OK, now Lord what's up? I went on about my day and one small incident after another continued to occur. I felt a spirit of discouragement constantly tug at me. I refused to give it power. Instead, I hit the gym, pushed myself and actually dead lift my heaviest (yes, I'm proud lol). I was determined to have a great day in spite of all the mess that was going on around me.

I received a call from a client/cousin to meet her she wanted me to style her for some weekend events. I go to her house first, shop her closet then we head to the mall. Well, if you know me you know that I am a fast driver except when my kiddos are in the car. I love speed and power and everywhere I go I travel the freeway/highway. I despise stop lights and speed limits under 65mph! Well, this day something in my spirit told me do NOT get on the freeway like you usually do Maranda. I LISTENED! I rode the access rode which added about 10-13 minutes to my drive and I was already pressed for time since I had to be back in my area in 1 hour to get my daughter from school. I rode on s l o w l y having my daily convo with my sister in law, laughing and thinking nothing of all the mess I had encountered earlier that day. Then WHAM I turned into the parking garage and my tire literally rolled off my truck! Yes, you read right!!! IT CAME COMPLETELY OFF MY TRUCK! I screamed and hollered as my vehicle broke down and I heard a god-awful noise from the axle and the truck smashing and breaking ground underneath me. Scared, Confused, upset, trembling I jump out and look at my cousin who had been trailing me her mouth was literally wide open! It was like something out of a movie. It was crazy! It was terrible! My hands shaking I log into my insurance company website to get the info I need to file a claim, get a tow truck and a piece of mind. The claim they took, the tow truck, they sent, but the piece of mind they could not help me with. I cried out to God...Lord, really??? Like I really don't need this! Why now God? You know I can't handle nothing else right now...my plate is FULL! I began to focus on the situation instead of the God in the situation. So many people stopped to offer their assistance. It was nothing anyone can do. As I sat on the tire across the parking lot from my vehicle I felt the spirit of discouragement come on me again. I looked to my cousin and said I just took my deductible up yesterday, now this! She looked back at me and said so, ok the cost is only $500, is that worth more than your life? I dropped my head like a school kid and  shamefully mumbled well, no! It took over 3 hours for the tow truck to come pick up my vehicle! I was alone, hungry, hot, mad and having to call everyone I knew to pick up my kids from school. Knowing my vehicle was going to be towed I removed everything from it into my cousin's car before she headed back to work. My battery on my phone got low so I had to sit in this hot car to charge it and continue to wait. I sat there all in my feelings. Crying, but constantly whispering to myself God, I trust you!!! God, I trust you over and over and over again that rolled off my tongue, because by now the discouragement attack was working. I knew I had to keep fighting and I couldn't find anything else to say, but GOD, I TRUST YOU! I'm still sitting there waiting on the two truck I watch a man parked in the handicap spot get out of a white mini van. He held onto his truck as he walked around to the back to take out his mobile chair, I watched him struggle to put it together, to latch the base of the seat on and adjust the arm rest and breathe hard all while holding onto his van to make sure he wouldn't fall. He got into his chair rolled over to the drivers door and asked me what happened? I replied, my tire just popped off my truck! He looked in disbelief and asked me where do I live? I said just a few exits down off this highway and he immediately said Well, good thing you didn't take your usual route. I looked at him thinking "how you know?" He proceeded to talk and say good thing you wasn't on the highway and an even better thing you didn't have your children with you. Now, I'm really looking at him crazy. How does he know I have kids? Because, I know I don't look like it! lol Then he looked into my eyes and he said "Baby, YOU LIVING RIGHT and keep living right" He said, when you woke up this morning the enemy made a plan to take you out. He said that the enemy decided today would be my day. He said the enemy has been at you all day, BUT (Oh, I love a BUT because it cancels out everything said before it) the Lord raised up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19). He said you were supposed to die on that highway, your family was supposed to get a call that you didn't make it, he said your children were supposed to be motherless BUT!!!!!! Then he said the Lord said to tell you that the enemy is fighting you, BUT God is fighting for you. Romans 8:31 If God be for us, who can be against us? He reminded me of the purpose that God placed on my life. All the events of the past flashed before my eyes and I remembered how he kept me. How he raised me up. All the promises he told me. I broke out into tears. Had this of happened on the freeway traveling 85mph it could have cost me my life. It could have taken someone else life. What if it happened with my kids in the car? What would my kids do without me?

 I watched that man struggle to put his mobile chair up and to get back in his vehicle (he wouldn't accept my help) and I thought about how much he just went through to get a message to me. He could have stayed in his vehicle and said now, look God it's hot, I'm chilling I don't feel like getting out and putting this chair together just to say something to this stranger BUT!! Instead he was obedient to the voice of god. OH, how blessing will flow when you are obedient. The bible says it is better to be obedient than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Thank You God for obedience!!

 I thought about a story in the bible in numbers 22, that I recall my late Granny speaking of when I was a child. I never understood this story UNTIL NOW! It's the story of God opening the mouth of the donkey to get a message to Balaam (Go read the full story, it's amazing) and I thought about how awesome God is and how he loves us so much and is so dedicated to us that he sends his messengers to remind us that he's still there and he has not left nor forsaken us! I thought about Nahum 2 when the warning comes and that the enemy has advanced against you, Man the fort, watch the road, dress for battle and collect your strength. God never said that the weapon wouldn't form, but he did say that it wouldn't prosper (Isaish 54:17). God kept me! He delivered me out of the hand of the enemy like he has so many times before. I can only imagine that he was saying as he covered me, Touch NOT my anointed; and do my prophet NO HARM (1 Chronicles 16:22). I walked away from the incident untouched and unbothered and being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a great work in me will complete it (Philippians 1:6)!!! It's so easy to get discouraged when you are trying to live right. When you submit yourself to the will of god. The devil fights even harder because he sees the multitude of potential followers of Jesus that you can impact! Life is hard chasing after God, but it's worth it! I know that the purpose and the plan God has on my life is bigger than anything I can imagine and that's why the Devil can't stand me! lol I shake my head at his tricks and tactics because I know that the Lord has equipped me with all the tools necessary to defeat him! The past 3 years I've walked through hell and back. God promised me that although I walked through the fire just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego there will be NO SMELL OF SMOKE on me. I don't look like what I've been through and that's because I praise and worship the one who brought me through!!! What a blessing to know JESUS KEEPS FIGHTING FOR ME! He has given me yet, another 2nd chance at abundant life! May God add a special blessing to the hearers, readers and especially the doers of his word! AMEN!

Have a great weekend!