4/19/09

A Favor For My Favor


WOW!!! A few days ago I experienced something that just left me saying WOW!!!

Let me get right to it. I created a group called "Gods Vision" on the Illinois State Black Colleagues Association site. One of the group members had a powerful experience. She has high blood pressure and has been on medication for some time now. She has been praying and working out, she made a trip to her doctor and he informed her that what ever she had been doing (praying and working out) has improved her health and he can remove her from some of the medication she is on. God is Great!!!

I was inspired by her experience and made a decision to stop smoking. I believe that when I take one step towards God he will take two steps towards me. I go to an event that same night and have a few drinks and I'm buzzing and usually when that happens I want a cigarrette. I am on my way home basically struggling with a decision. Should I buy a pack of cigarettes or should I just go home.

I rationalize that I will go to this gas station that has these butter cookies I like and buy my final pack of cigarettes. So I get to the gas station and grab two packages of cookies and ask for a pack of cigarettes. I hand the cashier my card and he swipes it..as he is doing that I place the cookies in my pocket and wait to sign my receipt. The cashier yells out that my card did not work and I say.."Lets try debit"...I punch in my code and it still comes back rejected. At this point I'm wondering what is going on.

I go home and try to check my balance online and I cant. I call customer service to hear my balance. As I am listening to the automated service I get even more frustrated because right when it says "Your balance is"...it drops the call...so I never hear the number. So finally I call to speak to a live person. Finally somebody picks up and the first thing I ask is if there is something wrong with their system.

He immediately says yes and is confused because it has never happened before. He apologizes for the inconvenience and asks that I got to a ATM to see if my card is working. He holds the line I make it to an ATM and it works.

Now here is the amazing part...The entire system shut down at the same moment I was trying to purchase my cigarettes. Now I know some of you are like "yeah right"...seriously I knew something like that would happen...but I did not believe it enough. I believe even more now.

I mean lets think about this....an entire system where people access their money was shut down for at least 20 minutes....

I took a step towards God when I said I would stop smoking...and he did a favor for my favor when he shut the system down....God Is Great!!!

WOW!!!!

Mark 10:27 (New International Version) 27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."


Stay Focused, Positive and Productive

Precise

3 comments:

Monique A. Williams said...

That's beautiful. God is the best of all planners. It's no coincidence that you couldn't get that pack of cigs. Stay away from them...and the cookies! LOL

T Lloyd said...

Today is the beginning of you new life. Stay lifted.

TheRealTPayne said...

Quitting smoking was/is the hardest thing I've ever done. It's an ongoing process but worth it every time I exercise, walk a flight of stairs, etc. without wheezing or being out of breath. Prayers go out to you