What Keeps Me Going?

     People have been amazed how I keep going after my mom passed. Yes, I miss Dad and Mom beyond what you can imagine. I even have moments of crying, but I know that they don't want me to give up. I was talking with my Aunt Jo, and she said something that stood out. Dad and Mom prepared me well to keep going on after they passed. No, it is not easy, but like the Apostle Paul, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
     My faith is what keeps me going. My family stopped going to church when I was younger. After my Mama died, I won’t never forget what Granddaddy did. He came to me outside of the church and said, “Mama is in heaven, and we are going to see her again.” I began to be curious about that, so I began to read the Bible. Ms. Belton told me about her church and her faith. Then my friends told me about the magazine called “Open Window “, which let you read the Bible in one year. I enjoyed reading it. Every time we went by the church where we had been to, I pointed. Dad finally stopped Sunday golfing, and we started going to church. I rode down the aisle the next Sunday. I was baptized in a baptism too. Dad walked me up to the steps, and I grabbed the baptism window. I didn’t realize that I had to let go when the preacher began to baptize me, but he finally baptized me.
     When God told me the word “missionary” I was like, “Did You mess up? I can’t even drive, I can’t even go overseas, and I can’t talk.” I firmly believe it was God because nobody was there in the house, and it didn’t sound like scanner talking. Then a pastor preached about Paul called to be missionary. I had Kershaw Baptist Association worked with me to help me with missionaries who I could email.
     I did that for a while and then God led me to take an English course to improve my writing skills. Then I started writing monthly lessons. Shocked me because I didn’t do well in school when I had to write. I’m living proof that God can use anyone.
     Also, God led me to run my own business. When I started Inspired By God, somebody suggested speaking in public. At first, I wasn’t set on that idea, but I started to feel that I could make a difference in people’s life by speaking on what God did for me, and I wanted to make everybody aware of CP. I enjoyed speaking and talking with people afterward. Kids were amazing to watch because they were focusing. I really miss speaking, but I decided to put speaking in the past after Dad got sick. When Dad died in June 2020, I also decided to stop making shirts and hats because Dad only worked the heat press. Now I’m focusing on sharing God’s word in my writing and my wall pictures. God put in my heart to be a missionary, and He leads me in everything I do.