“Getting fired from my job was the best thing,” says Author and Spoken Word artist, Brandy Rankins (a.k.a BrandyWine). In this post, I share with you the full discussion which transpired between BrandyWine and I on LinkedIn on November 12, 2011. It’s my prayer that you will find hope, inspiration and encouragement from the story of a woman of God who at some point in life felt all hope was lost, but God intervened and gave her “hope and a future” as promised in Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV.
Brandy’s story followed when I posted the statement below:
“This evening I felt really depressed, and as I began to pray the Lord gave me this scripture: "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." - Matthew 24:13. So I want to ask, what have you been enduring as a Christian?”
Brandy's reponse to the above statement is as quoted below:
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| Brandy Rankins |
"Love and needed this scripture! As a Christian I've endured A LOT! My hope, belief, and confession is that the most challenging trials are behind me. I've endured some great hardships such as becoming a widow at the tender age of 21. I was devastated by the loss and since I was new to the church, I left God because of my confusion and pain. "Why would you let this happen to me Lord?" I thought daily. From there I went into the world drinking, smoking, and clubbing heavily trying to do everything to fill a GOD SIZE VOID. I found out the hard way only God could fill that.
I returned to the church and began to sit under God and allowed Him to minister to my pain. What I LOVE and remember about my time away from God is that He was still with me. He continued to PROVIDE, and look out for me, even though I left Him. He was and is so Faithful. Seven years later, I was blessed to remarry a wonderful man but then my mother and best friend passed with lung cancer. We literally had to raise the money to bury my mom in three days because she didn't have any life insurance. We held two carwashes, sold hot dogs, and went through the community with signs that read "Please Help Us Bury Our Mom."
I returned to the church and began to sit under God and allowed Him to minister to my pain. What I LOVE and remember about my time away from God is that He was still with me. He continued to PROVIDE, and look out for me, even though I left Him. He was and is so Faithful. Seven years later, I was blessed to remarry a wonderful man but then my mother and best friend passed with lung cancer. We literally had to raise the money to bury my mom in three days because she didn't have any life insurance. We held two carwashes, sold hot dogs, and went through the community with signs that read "Please Help Us Bury Our Mom."
The next month, my husband's grandfather passed away, I was fired from job because of the time I took off to bury my mom, the next month my mom in law was diagnosed with heart failure, the next month we received the keys to our first home but a few days after getting the keys my husband pulled up to the property to find the police there because someone had broken and stolen all the copper piping and plumbing; they did over $9,000 worth of damage. The next month our van was stolen from in front of the church during morning service and it was broadcasted on the morning news.
If all that wasn't enough we found out at the end of the year that we were pregnant with our first daughter however, our 30 week ultrasound showed that she had extreme intestinal damage. I went into labor 2 months early because my baby began drowning on her fluids which started backing up due to the blockage. She had her first major surgery when she was two days old. I had her in one hospital and they rushed her to another hospital that was more equipped to help her. Can you imagine having a baby with no pain meds only to have her taken away from you an hour or so after she was born? I just kept hearing God say "Trust Me." I could barely walk and had to get discharged the next morning because I had to get by my baby's side for her surgery. She went on to have 3 major surgeries, was on the ventilator 3 times, and spent the first 7 months in the hospital. We lived at the Ronald McDonald House to be by her side all that time. Meanwhile, we had three other small children to tend to, can you imagine that?
But the Bible says:
1 Peter 5:10
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
So I say AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED A LITTLE WHILE!!! JESUS I FEEL A SHOUT COMING ON, MY GOD! I'M A WITNESS GOD WILL RESTORE, STRENGTHEN, AND ESTABLISH YOU!
Today my daughter is completely healed! So many months doctors said she wouldn't grow, her brain wouldn't grow, and all the reports we received about what she wasn't doing. For months the charts would show she was below....Today she is above in the 95% percentile for height. She's 3 and wears a 5T! She's as tall and smart as my 4 year old. Getting fired from my job was the best thing because now I have SpeakLife Ministries and I get to work in the area of my calling and purpose. I have written three books, one about my testimony in full, that Speak LIFE to the hearts and minds of the people. I, alongside my husband, have shared my testimony to over 170 nations on the major international television station TCT not once but twice, even taking my baby girl to the second show for her first international appearance to say "LOOK AT WHAT GOD DID!"
But the Bible says:
1 Peter 5:10
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
So I say AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED A LITTLE WHILE!!! JESUS I FEEL A SHOUT COMING ON, MY GOD! I'M A WITNESS GOD WILL RESTORE, STRENGTHEN, AND ESTABLISH YOU!
Today my daughter is completely healed! So many months doctors said she wouldn't grow, her brain wouldn't grow, and all the reports we received about what she wasn't doing. For months the charts would show she was below....Today she is above in the 95% percentile for height. She's 3 and wears a 5T! She's as tall and smart as my 4 year old. Getting fired from my job was the best thing because now I have SpeakLife Ministries and I get to work in the area of my calling and purpose. I have written three books, one about my testimony in full, that Speak LIFE to the hearts and minds of the people. I, alongside my husband, have shared my testimony to over 170 nations on the major international television station TCT not once but twice, even taking my baby girl to the second show for her first international appearance to say "LOOK AT WHAT GOD DID!"
I was on TBN in September, and as a bonus we were contestants on two episodes of the acclaimed game show "The Family Feud" twice (Oct. 7th & Oct. 24th 2011)! God is AWESOME! And although we still go through obstacles, because it rains on the just, just like rains on the unjust, I just remind myself of what God did for me yesterday. Even this morning, I was down about some things but typing all of this reminds me that if God showed out yesterday SURELY, SURELY, SURELY HE WILL SHOW OUT ON MY BEHALF AGAIN! God bless you!”
Did you find Brandy’s testimony helpful? I want you to always remember that “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Kindly leave your comments below.
In our next post, I will be sharing another testimony. If you haven’t already subscribed then click here to do so or use the subscription form below to subscribe and stay in touch with all our future posts.
