Remembering a Miracle 

Some days I dislike the Facebook memories feature. Just ’cause some life events carry bad memories.

HOWEVER … today I love the memories feature. LOL. Because it popped up with pictures of an event I attend on this day, two years ago.

The exact day and event in which my life changed—drastically and miraculously.

Ahh! I hope to be able to share this heart-chat without falling into a bubbling mess of happy tears. But we’ll see.

Quick Backstory

This isn’t the first time I’ve shared this testimony. I can’t seem to shut up about it. God has been—and continues to be—so good!!

I had wrestled with depression for so long. Since my early teens. [And to show my age, that’s been over 20+ years.]

My life had consisted of trudging through emotional decay. Always longing for love that others couldn’t give. Longing to be accepted and valued. Hungering for a “home”. A place I could belong and be treasured.

Sadly, life doesn’t work like that. And in my misplaced hungering and longing, I walked down a few deadly paths and collected lots of wounds.

When a person lives in emotional decay for long periods of time, they become intimately acquainted with things like depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies.

Those types of dark chains will convince a person life has no meaning. Chains that leech out every ounce of light and hope. They choke you, making every breath a battle.

Until the weight of the chains leaves you lying in a pit for so long that same pit then becomes your spiritual grave.

Which may seem like a disturbing analogy, but that’s life for many people.

It had been my life for years.

Until Mar 3, 2018. *happy tears*

Miracles do happen

I didn’t walk into the women’s conference seeking after God. In fact, I was there simply out of obligation—fulfilling a role I serve in my church.

But God—in the richness of His mercy—had a divine appointment scheduled for me. An appointment He had every intention of keeping.

I received a hug that day. A deep, spiritual hug that utterly changed my life.

A hug from my Heavenly Father who knew the pain festering in my spirit. A pain that had killed my heart, turning it into hardened stone.

My merciful Father also knew of my failed attempts at bringing life back into my dead, stone heart.

So God performed a supernatural heart transplant.

Yes, that sounds weird. But it isn’t as impossible as it sounds. Ezekiel 36 gives an example of this type of renewal.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

Ezekiel 36: 25-27 (NJKV)

I testify that God put a new heart and a new spirit within me. *sobs happy tears*

[p.s. if you’re curious to read more about this testimony, you can check out this post]

And the blessings keep flowing!

The last two years since my heart transplant has been an epic, mind-blowing adventure!!

And because today is a special anniversary—a spiritual birthday of sorts—I’d love to share more of the beautiful things God has been doing.

2018—a short recap

After my heart transplant, I spent the rest of 2018 discovering God as real, fixing my faith foundation, and receiving complete internal healing.

This was the year spent basking in the newness of what it meant to be redeemed and spiritually resurrected.

2019—a short recap

Check out this cheesy grin of mine. I’m such a dork. LOL. But this was at the same women’s conference, last year—the one year mark of celebrating freedom in Christ.

I’m growing and learning more about what it means to be unapologetically me. 

I am a daughter of the King. A servant to His word. And a cherished member of His kingdom.

God is good. All the time.

Next is one of my favorite pictures of this new season. My family and I had finished hiking a billion miles (just kidding. Ha! I think it was 2 miles, uphill.). We’re sweating. An absolute mess.

But the deeper message hit me weeks after this picture was taken and I added a meaningful scripture overlay on top.

When God redeemed my heart, He didn’t stop there.

He redeemed my marriage. 

Things had not been well between hubby and me for a long time. But now? We are better and our bond is stronger than it has ever been. Not only that, but we continue to grow into a united force for God’s kingdom.

He redeemed my relationship with my daughter. 

Y’all, I just want to sob thinking about this. The generational hurt and darkness that had been passed onto me STOPS WITH ME. My daughter is a rockstar. She is confident and oh so strong. I can’t wait to see where her own personal journey with Christ takes her.

One last picture for now.

God placed a ministry in my heart. *mind-blown*

Gotta admit though, I’ve been running from this. Staying within the bounds of my comfort zone. However … by the grace of God, I am gaining strength, confidence, and traction.

While God has been active in doing such tremendous miracles in my life, I haven’t been without opposition. I’ve weathered some huge storms.

But God is forever faithful. He is molding me, growing me, and equipping me for this new season. So much so that my mind struggles to keep up with all the epicness of who God is. I am truly blessed by all the opportunities to see God at work.

I can’t share more details of the ministry direction just yet. Items are still being finalized and business plans laid out. Yet, this redeemed heart of mine is ready.

I’m embracing the new

Thanks so much for swinging by for my little celebration. Your support thrills me every time.

And I am so excited for this new season! Y’all, but seriously … I’m so impatient for it too. LOL.

I have absolutely loved journeying with Christ these last couple of years. I know He has more adventures in store. Each more extraordinary than the last. But beautiful and unique in their own way.

And I plan to embrace each one, clinging to the moments, because they are the adventures meant just for Him and me.

I am new. I am changed. And I will never be the same.

And I truly mean that! I am completely different. I am not the same woman I was two years ago. Thank you, Father God!

Okay, I have to wrap up all my sappy heart-feels. LOL. I can’t help but want to love on Jesus. He has done soooooo much for me, I’ve only touched on a fraction of His blessings over the last two years.

However, I do hope something within this blog post has blessed your heart. If anything, I pray it encourages you. May you know that miracles still take place. And that God has a divine appointment scheduled to meet your needs.

You may not be expecting it. You may not even be looking for it. But God sees you. He hears you, and He loves you.

*huge hugs*

Until next time, friend …

Blessings,

Desiree