It is with happy tears streaming down my face that I share with you my story.
I was homeless from April 2020 to January 2021 due to a domestic issue between my son and me. It all began with a threat on my life by my son in February 2020 which escalated to court hearings, being told I would never see him or my grandchildren again to actually having to have to suddenly move out of my home due to the possible threat of retaliation. Through it all, I never stopped trusting God and His infinite wisdom to bind the spirit over my family’s situation, cast it away from us and restore peace within my family. I prayed momently for understanding of what was happening to us in the midst of this virus that was taking over the planet.
When I left my home, I went to live with one of my sisters. Her family welcomed me with open arms telling me this is what families do, we help each other. This was when everyone was on lockdown for COVID-19, the virus was getting worse and the numbers were rising all over. So much so, that governors were closing the borders to their states to nonresidents unless you worked there. My brother-in-law became increasingly bothered by my presence in their home and asked me to leave. Having nowhere to go, I call my sister in North Carolina who told me to come and stay with her and her husband. Thankfully I was working remotely from home and could work from anywhere, so I decided to go to North Carolina. I was in North Carolina from June 2020 to December 2020. Things were not all good there as they had domestic issues between them as well. Once that escalated, I found myself sitting in the middle of a parking lot in North Carolina having a meltdown.
I reached out to my family who all turned me down for shelter. I had nowhere and no one to turn to but God. He directed my path to an extended stay hotel all the way in Laurel, Md. where I knew no one but Him. A good friend’s brother gifted me $500 for food and a few of my DDS sisters whom I’d never met before in my life also gifted me monetarily so I could survive. I lived in the extended stay hotel for a month and a half until I got my finances together to move into my home where I am today. I have been here since Jan. 26, 2021.
When I left my old place, I had nothing but my clothes in storage. I asked my accountability sister from DDS to move in with me as she too was going through a wilderness. God put our paths together for a reason. I thought we would be sitting on the floor sleeping on pallets for a while until we could do better, but God had another plan. The day we moved in, my roommate had just about everything we needed! On that same day, I was blessed with $1,000 from a coworker to get all of the incidentals needed to make the house a home.
I had not realized what God had shielded me from until I was safe in my home. It was as if He put blinders on me to focus only on Him through it all. When it was all revealed to me the grace and mercy He provided, I just broke down with gratefulness! I literally could have caught the virus, my health could have gone down from the stress to the point of hospitalization due to a diabetic condition that I have and I could have been sleeping in my car — BUT GOD!
As for my son (and grandchildren), he is doing well, living in his own place and loving me as he once did. He is receiving the needed help and also helping me. I am still praying he builds a relationship with the Master. I am thankful for the answered prayer on his behalf and I see my granddaughter whenever I want!
God carried me through without feeling sorry for myself or feeling depressed. There were times when I felt so full of the Father’s love I couldn’t stop smiling in the midst of everything going on all around me! I also find it worthy to mention that through it all, I casted my cares unto the Father and continued my service, not skipping a beat, upon graduating from DDS in 2020 by continuing His service as a DDS ministry member where I serve as an ATF. The new thing I am learning to do every day through it all is to thank God and praise His name cheerfully, which is why I say if He never does another thing for me again in my life, His Grace is truly sufficient! And now I can say with all confidence that I know what it’s like to be drinking from my saucer because I have been blessed beyond measure and am continuing to be!