I recently turned 32 on November 2nd. Yeah I know I still look 25 and I thank God for my stunning, youthful, vibrant, gorgeous, fabulous looks. But besides that all that I am thankful to see another new year. I am known to tell people happy new year on their birthday and sometimes the statement confuses them. You see I don't celebrate a new year on January 1st, I believe that your new year begins on the day that you were born. Every year on my birthday I take a look back and reflect where I've come from to where I currently am. A year ago I made the decision to pursue my dreams and believe what God has called me to be and become and entrepreneur. I had a plan and it seemed to come all together so well. Life was good! I was in my own house, driving my own car, a full time student at A&T State University pursuing my masters in Speech Pathology and working my own business. My faith was the strongest I've ever known it to be and nothing could have stop me but God Himself! I was going into my new year on the biggest high ever. I had poured every ounce of money I had into the start up of my business and was looking at a bright future. But on August 5, 2011 my life was changed drastically. A flash flood came out of no where and destroyed everything I invested into my business, I lost EVERYTHING.
I went through a whole year trying to figure out how could God let this happen to me when I was following His command. As my Bishop would say "How do you handle it when the God you serve leads you into a wilderness?" Even in my wilderness I still had to be the same Jessica that everyone saw. Happy, full of life a go getter but inside I was empty and fearful. How can I be an inspiration to others when I felt like I had nothing to offer because I had lost everything. Little did I know that my journey of recovery inspired those around me to never give up and the KEEP GOING! I've learned that the path that God wants us to take to get us to an expected end is not the path we would have chosen. My journey in this last year has taught me about faith, love and compassion on a whole other level. I've learned that PAIN births COMPASSION that cultivated my FAITH to truly see the LOVE of God for my life. What I went through helped me to understand the struggle that God's people go through and have compassion for them and their process. This stirred my faith in the love of God and His promise to never leave me nor forsake me.
Even though I lost all of my possessions I have truly gained my true self. And I would not change a thing about my journey. So this new year the only thing I am seeking is God to get the glory out of my life and for YOU to be inspired to KEEP GOING!
