Isaiah 61:3, New International Version

“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…”

Transformation Part Two

The Encounter

At age thirty-eight, I was living with my mother, and I was engaged to a woman for three years. At this point I was drinking two fifths of vodka a day and I was near death. I was no longer eating much, had tremors and fear. What the devil spoke to me years past, he now was speaking to me these words: “This is how you have lived your whole life. God doesn’t love you anymore. You are dying and going to hell and there is nothing you can do about it!” I was tormented day and night with those thoughts. I was grieving the loss of my mother, who I would turn and cry out to, and many times would pray for me when she was alive.

 On April 12, 2010, I had an encounter while I was lying in a hospital bed with lower back pain. I knew it was my liver and kidneys that were struggling, and I was so sick and while I was lying there, I saw my whole life flash before my eyes, and I was terrified! I thought, “This is it! I am gonna die in this hospital.” I called my sister Ruth, and she said these words, “Trish, you are not going to die. Cry out to God and He will hear you. He loves you.” In that moment, I hung up the phone and I said, “God please help me because I don’t want to die this way.” The next moment was so amazing! I felt this heat and burning warmth all the way through my body. It was this love and peace like I had never felt. All those years of not feeling the presence of God, and in that moment, I was just wiped away by His outpouring. The doctor came in a few minutes later while I was still crying and said that my liver and kidneys were severely damaged, and that if I drank again, I was going to die!

 From that day to this one, I have miraculously not had a craving or a desire for alcohol and God healed my liver and kidneys too!

A few short weeks after that experience…

I had another moment where the power of God fell on me so strong in my living room and it was like a lightning bolt of anointing hit me. He broke that relationship off, the woman I engaged with moved out, and I went back to church for the first time in years. Just two days after this experience, I gave my life to Jesus and I got baptized on Mother’s Day, 2010. In August 2010, God healed my childhood hurts. The tap roots are what I believe need to be healed in us and then it breaks that desire to sin. In December of 2010, I said, “Lord, I want to be used mightily for Your Kingdom, but these cigarettes are holding me back. Please deliver me from them.” A week later, I felt sick after smoking and I ran in the bathroom, and I heard the Lord say these words, “I am delivering you my daughter you will never crave these again.” I never have again. It was gone like it never was a desire!

The Transformation

I began to grow my hair out and wear makeup. The Lord spoke to me that I am His precious daughter– and that He has given me beauty for ashes!

In late December. I met the sweetest man and just after our first date which was dinner and church, I came home and said, “Lord is this ok? I don’t want to disobey You ever again. I have lived away from You all my life and I never want to be away from You again.” The Lord spoke to me these words, “He is the one for you my daughter that I have given you to love. You are going to marry him.” My church got to see the whole transformation from the beginning until now. We got married just a little over seven months later and we honored God, and our marriage has been blessed. Fast forward to now and this October 1st we will celebrate eleven years of marriage. It has been a beautiful journey together with the Lord. We are truly one flesh, one heart for God and sharing the love of Jesus to others.