So this will be a long post. No doubt about that. Here’s why I’m posting though. Not too long ago the preacher at my church gave a sermon about us being lanterns for God, & through us the lord’s light shines on others. So I wanted to share my experience. I’ve always had faith to some extent. I used to just pray for God to look after my loved ones & that was pretty much how I did it for the majority of my life. In 2012 I went through a rough time out in California & I gave up faith entirely.

A few years go by & in 2016 I returned to work at Blackboard. I started praying again just under the grounds that I could use all the help I could get in trying to build a career. I put it everything into my work but nothing happened. I didn’t want to walk away from that company, but I did in order to take a job at Senture. Prior to making this switch I had prayed “God I am at a crossroads. Please take me down the right path”.

I really didn’t want to give up the progress I had put in. I made a “pros & cons” list but I stacked it in favor of Blackboard. Still, somehow, I ended up at Senture at the start of 2018. I got interviewed for 10 or more jobs over the next several months but didn’t get any of them. When I thought all was said & done I came into work one day & I end up receiving my dream job. Completely out of the blue. Something far better than I ever could have imagined. Best boss, best coworkers, & something I’m actually good at. It couldn’t possibly have worked out better. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love it.

Everything was great for awhile & I realized that I had a lot to be thankful for. I wasn’t really happy with my marriage but I had became “comfortable”. So I prayed “God make me a better husband”. I learned to cook, started losing weight, sacrificed things I enjoyed, & went all out. Nothing changed. It just got worse if nothing else. So I prayed “God fix this marriage”. Still nothing. So I changed it to “God, fix or end this marriage. Whichever you see fit”.

I had asked the person I was with to just tell me if they didn’t want to be with me. I gave them an “out”. Didn’t work. I threatened to leave. They make me think everything is good & I end up staying. It seemed like things were turning around & then boom. She doesn’t come home one Friday night. Turns out she spent the night with a guy I had seen texting her previously. So I left.

I knew that this was one relationship where I had came out the other side better off. So I prayed “God please just help me find “The One”. Through a random situation I had made a list of things I expected “The One” to have. It was a small list. Loyal, best friend, & preferably someone I had history with. The most amazing & beautiful woman I’ve ever known comes back into my life. Completely unexpected. She met all of the criteria. We’ve known each other almost all of our life, we dated back when we were 16, so there’s the history. When we first started hanging out it was for real just as friends. So she became my best friend. Eventually I asked about a tattoo she has of a Chinese symbol. It stands for “loyalty”.

With no control I fell head over heels for her. In reflection I realize that I’d been thinking about her all of these years. I’ve spent most of those 16 years apart having to drive by her house. So she was never really far from my mind. I had even told God one night “I think you’ll either give me this girl or this girl, but I know you have the power to throw a curveball that I never see coming”. He sure did. I’ve never felt this level of love for anyone else. I’ve never been this comfortable with someone else. It is just perfect for me.

So it gets crazier. One night I pray “God I need to do something to occupy my free time, I’ve got too much time to think, please help me get a second job”. The next morning I find out that I’ve got the #1 job I would have picked. A few more weeks go by. There’s an error with my bank account where I was charged by mistake. It drained all of the money I had to survive on & I was 5 days away from getting paid. Didn’t have enough money to stretch it or anything. So I prayed “God, I hate asking about money but please help me get this fixed within 2-3 days, or help me figure out how to make it until payday.” Within 5 minutes I get a message from the bank telling me the money is back in my account. They even seemed a bit shocked that I got it so quickly.

Later, I had made a promise to the girl I am in love with. I vowed that if she turned herself in to finish up a small amount of jail time that had been hanging I’ve her head, that I would have a vehicle & place to live waiting on her. I prayed one night “God, please help me not let her down & help me make good on my word”. The next day I secure the PERFECT vehicle for her. Exactly the kind she would want. From my former mother/father in law, on payments. That was on a Friday. Come Sunday my boss offers up a place to rent. Surprisingly in the exact city she had picked out previously.

Need more proof? No problem. So I had told her several times that God would see her through the time she was facing. She would always tell me that the Department Of Corrections does not care about people. That you’re just a number to them. I told her that the G-O-D outranks the D-O-C. So I ended up missing her so badly that I started trying to get her out. I called a lawyer who said exactly what she had told me. Eventually things get so bad in there that I really kick it into gear. I don’t know where to start though. So I pray “God, please help bring her home. Please guide me & use me in anyway you need in order to get her back”.

So in all honesty. I could not have told you who our governor was. I reached out to several people who basically told me there was no hope. One day I am talking to my coworker & when I tell her of the situation she directs me to contact the governor. So I do. Next thing I know he lets some people out. She isn’t one of them though. So I continue to pray every day. I write the governor every day. I email him, write actual letters, write the DOC letters, & I started a petition.

I’ve never done anything like that. I feared it would flounder & get stuck at 20 signatures. I am blown away by all of the people who signed. Almost 400 people. I wrote every news outlet I could think of. I wrote the governor every day & send the signatures list every time we advance 50 signatures.

I spend almost 3 hours of my security job praying on the subject. Next day she calls & tells me to check this list. I had been on the exact page & not seen a new list had been posted. Her name IS on it. She is getting out & not just that. I had asked for house arrest. Instead they’re completely letting her go. Nothing hanging over her head. Exactly what I had prayed for. God has delivered her the ability to put this behind her.

So I know it is long but I wanted to share how blessed I have been. It has been crazy how quickly some of these prayers were answered. The one thing that I know for sure has helped is that I’ve learned to trust in God to handle the things I put in his hands. I give them to him & let it go. My hopes were that this would help someone else find their way to God. I just wanted to let my lantern shine for everyone to see.