A Gift of God...just the way we are created✍❤️🙌🏿
We are all a gift from God just the way we are created.Before we were born, God already knew each of us! This is the journey of a little black girl from a small, rural community in South Carolina.......
A Black Girl's MEMOIR✍ 2021
The Background
What I Know For Sure.........
ACT 1-2: Created 2 Praise God... He is a Miracle Worker🎶
ACT 3: When I Can't See Him.....He is Still Working🙏
ACT 4: A Living Testimony
......It Is Well With My Soul ❤️
Final ACT: My Destiny: in God's hands and unveiling itself on my journey 🙏🏿
THE BACKGROUND
For a long time, I wanted to write this memoir so that other black little girls, minority children, teens, young adults and grown adults who were raised in a single-parent, poor, rural community with lots of love from a village of people will know that statistics don't predict their story. Statistics usually negatively predicts the outcome of children from poor single-parent families.
I am a living testimony that statistics can't predict your story. God makes it possible for me, you and many others to help us walk in plans for us to prosper in every aspect of our life.
You have power in yourself because of the HolySpirit to prove those negative statistics wrong.
God knew you before you were born. He has a plan for you. Circumstances do not determine your outcome. God, faith and actions do.
In this Season of my life, I want to share with the whole world how God has worked---blessings, trials and tribulations--in and around me throughout my life journey.
All things work together for my good and God's glory. It Is Well with My Soul 🎶
What I knows 4 sure is that.....
1. Jesus is my Savior because he died on the cross and saved us from sin so we can have eternal life.
2. I am created in God's image because the HolyBible says so.
3. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit because each day I experience it guiding and instructing me.
4. My life is not my own but it belongs to God because I believe I am here for God's pleasure, glory and plan for me
5. God knew me before I was born.
6. My blessings & life trials are truly testimonies of how God pulled me through for his glory. After all, I AM a living testimony.
7. The Holy Spirit, Wisdom and Experience is a good teacher!
8. My purpose on earth is to praise, love, serve, encourage and teach 4 God's Glory and purpose.
9.Growing older gives me a chance to view my life from an adult perspective. Just think about it....How has your view on life changed over the years?
10. My hope is that my memoir will also encourage you to write ✍ your own life story bc everyone has a life story to share with others for God's Glory.
I think the life God created us is a part of our legacy. NO ONE on earth can tell your life story like you can!
MY MEMOIR 2021.......
ACT 1: Created 2 Praise God
I was created in God's image to Praise him because the Bible tells me so. Over four decades ago, I was born as a dark brown- skinned around 7lb baby girl at Self Memorial hospital in a small, rural upstate community of South Carolina. The root word of my name is Dorothy which means A Gift from God. My mom named me Dorthea. I think no middle name was needed because my full name is powerful all by itself.
Being born at Self Memorial Hospital as a healthy baby girl was a miracle of how God showed up in me!
God knew me before I was born. He knew every hair on my head. The story I recall is that my mother and father (who never married each other) met at Piedmont Tech in rural Greenwood, SC and voila 9 months later I came into existence on Independence day, the 4th of July👋
God is a waymaker! After I was born, my Grandma (who had already raised 9 children) was used as a vessel by God to raised me in her 3 bedroom brick home. My Grandma was probably in her 40s when she started raising me. Even though we were poor, God always provided food, shelter and everything we needed🙌🏿 There was truly a village to help raise me🙌🏿 I also enjoyed visits with my mom, stepdad, sister and 2 brothers on the weekends through my childhood. There was also a friend of the family who called me his daughter and often checked in on me and gave my Grandma and me funds to help with our essentials.
My Grandma gave me the best gift in life by taking me to church every since I can remember so that I can learn and build my relationship with Jesus🥰 Because of who God is, I Just Wanna Praise Him 4-Ever &Ever&Ever🎶
I remember one of the songs my Grandma would sing at home during my childhood ..Shine on Me! LET THE LIGHT FROM THE LIGHT HOUSE SHINE ON ME 🎶
ACT 2: God is Miracle Worker
At the age of four years old while sleeping peacefully, I was accidentally shot in my lower right leg with at shotgun and rushed to Self Memorial hospital.
The surgeon told my Grandma who I call "My Mama" that they may not be able to save my leg BUT THANK God he saved my leg🙌🏿 I was able to learn how to walk again after my tragic leg injury at 4 years old. God is a
Healer🤗
For me, God saving my leg was another significant testimony of how God worked a miracle and blessing in my life! God is a Miracle Worker! I thank God for bringing me in this world for his Glory. I thank God for sending my Grandma to raised me and saving my leg🙌🏿
All of this happened during the first 4 years of my life. You see..God knew this was going to happen before I was born. He knows the plans for me. Thanks to God's mercy and grace...I Am Still Here🙌 God IS A MIRACLE WORKER!
ACT THREE: When I Can't See It, God is still working 🙏🏿In a rural small community with about 70%white and 30% black, I graduated from Ninety Six Elementary, Middle and Highschool. I survived my battle stripes and continouus mistakes daily thanks to God's grace and mercy! During grade school, I was enrolled in the free lunch program because I lived in a low income household. However, my Grandma and many others made it possible WITH GOD'S help for me to get all my needs met. Praises to God🙌🏿 God allowed me to use my gifts of Exhortation, singing, teaching and encouraging others since early childhood. I participated on the church choir; attended Sunday School; participated in the Beta Club; elected in the student council; played clarinet in the band and participated in th Ninety Six High School basketball cheerleading team. Staying involved in things I loved helps me to share my gifts with others for God's glory. I trust God. God directs my path. Remember Proverbs 3:5-6.
ACT FOUR: I am a living testimony 🎬 You see... I am an African American woman who was born and raised in a single family poor community. God still made away for me and I know he can make away for all of us. Trust him to direct our path and lean not on our own understanding and Acknowledge God always!!! Thanks to God after grade school I was able to graduate with my Master of Public Health Degree from the University of South Carolina in 1998. I am a First generation college graduate. Some scholarships and grants helped me pay my tuition but I also had to pay my way through college. During my first year of college, my mom and stepdad even helped with my tuition so I am very grateful for it too.
I am blessed to be married to my husband for over two decades now. As a married couple, we are loving and growing togther in our life journey. We met while I was ar USC and who knew But God that we would get married many years later. My hubbie and I embrace the fun times and experience trials and tribulations too with God. God has never failed us. God's grace, mercy and unconditional love helps us endure all things. All things work together for those who love the Lord accordingto his purposefor us! I really ❤️ the Lord 🎶
The Final ACT: My Destiny is in God's hands. It's unveiling itself on my life journey.
I am reminded Jeremiah 29:11.God has plans for us to Prosper and not to harm us. I strive to Let my Light Shine each day for God's glory! My favorite scripture is Psalm 23. The Lord is My Shepherd.....!
It is Well with My Soul 🎶 Each moment of my life is to be determined. I am walking by faith and know God already has plans for me and you😊
This memoir is written by Dorthea Lewis, MPH💯
