I’m Alive… He Kept Me!

“Everything happens for a reason. Wait on God and trust in Him. He wants the best for us. He wants to take us from glory to glory, and from victory to victory.”
― Germany Kent

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God
Corinthians 10:31

What’s Important is the Journey

I went to the beach recently with my colleague, and as per usually some very peculiar thoughts came to mind. So we were going to Gloria’s Restaurant. The story of the restaurant, located in Port Royal, is very inspiring. Starting with its founder, Gloria Harris who started not with a building, a kitchen a roadside cart or even selling seafood, it has flourished into a beloved eatery for seafood lovers. What is inspiring in not so much the success but the transformation that this business has witnessed; from selling egg sandwiches to the local fishermen to woking on her craft as a chef selling at the airport and roadside to acquiring a building and another five years later in the act of realising her purpose and being a successful business woman. I am sure that there must have been challenges that were conquered by faith. As I looked at the rough sea, I thought about my own rough times – and naturally my fear of such waters because I cannot swim. I felt so blessed in that moment when I remember those rough times though and those who had been in that rocky boat with me…

God Has Got This…

I was coming from a place of darkness, real darkness. when the thought of leaving my house was so terrifying that I had panic attacks. When the thought of being genuinely happy filled me with great cynicism and anger. I was coming from a place where death seemed an attractive companion; because life was just too much and not enough; but God intervened. Do you know that the word Gloria derived from the latin word glōria(glory), and glory describes the manifestation of God’s presence. While initially it seemed for the second time in our attempt to take a trip as a department, we would be going nowhere, God intervened. When it seemed as if our experience was about to be dampened, God intervened. And what could have been a “flop”, became a resounding success of renewal of mind body and spirit.

I know for many persons it is really hard to come back from a dark place where it felt like live was passing you by. When your everyday mantra becomes, “I hate my life”. As I sat in the bus in the bus on the way to Gloria’s, I was grateful for Shelly’s “are you okay?” I was grateful I could say “yes” and truly mean it at that moment. Then I was grateful for one of the best friends I have ever had, Shalene, who stood, sat and shared one bed with me during one of the most frightening periods of my life, when death seemed much easier to attain than being happy. For Mrs. Grandison, who was my counsellor when I felt it was all hopeless and for being a mother when all that was required was for her to be my supervisor. I was really grateful for Antoinette, who accepted all of me and affectionately refers to me as a “likkle terrorist”. And as I sat at the table with everyone and listened to the conversations swirling around me, I was happy that by just being themselves, they each made me feel happy to be alive in that moment. God had surrounded me with people to remind me that in any situation already was way ahead of me and all of us.

More Than Food…

By the end of the meal we were full to bursting [some more than others], and while some had imbibed, we were good enough to go on the beach to walk off both food and liquor. However, a routine stroll on the beach ended up being an exhilarating moment of simply, laughing, jumping [some higher than others], posing, fellowship and discovering. We took off our shoes sunk our feet in the sand and just allowed ourselves to be in that moment. When we turned back to the bus to leave, a little bit of peace had been collected and a little bit more of our fears tossed into the waters, forgotten forever. It was one of the best outing I had been on.not because the food and setting were great, which they were! It was one of the best outing because of the company and because of the reminder that life really is worth living. The visit to Gloria’s had manifested God’s hope that His people “…shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you” (Deuteronomy 26:11)