You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:11
I AM BACK!!! I know I have been “ghost” and I wanted to provide some clarity on what has been taking place "behind the scenes".
All I can say is that the first half of the year has been quite a rollercoaster. So much has happened in such a short period of time. It has truly been a journey of understanding who stands with me. From planning my first La Belle Vie Essentials event to dealing with an attack on my father’s health … Life can literally change in an instant. The verse “If God is for us, who can be against us” came to life this season for my family & I. I am so happy that today I can recite Psalm 30:11. God has changed my tears to joy and I am forever grateful.
The time period from the end of May and most of June, I truly felt like my world stood still. It was as if I was walking in a fog and I literally took things day by day. Those who know me, know that I am truly a “daddy’s girl”. I have a great relationship with both of my parents, my mom is my best friend. My father and I share a special bond and I consider myself his “right-hand”. I have pestered my parents to take care of their health this year. They are both ministers and are accustomed to putting individuals before themselves. During a routine heart catheter procedure the doctors found that my father had three clogged arteries. At the end of May he had a stint put into one of the arteries, and the day before my birthday he had heart bypass surgery.
My family leaned on God, our personal relationships/support, family, church family and friends. It is in this season that I learned it is in the darkest hour you know who stands with you. I will be forever be grateful to those who stood in the gap with my family by providing around the clock prayer, words of encouragement, check in calls/texts, sitting with us in the hospital, holding our hands and literally assisting us in one of the most difficult times of our lives.
Even as I write this, tears are streaming down my face. I am known as the “backbone” for my family and a source of assistance and strength. I held it together for my family, but every evening during that time period I would just go home and cry alone or in front of my husband. I just told God I wasn’t ready to lose my father. People at work were shocked to find out all the details of what happened later on because I kept things together. Secret is … I wasn’t relying on my own strength. I had God and a multitude of individuals who were surrounding me in prayer.
I am happy to say that my father is doing well, and is recovering. Each day he is gaining his strength back and getting back to his “normal” step. We know that this a long road to recovery and lifestyle changes but we are grateful that he is alive and was released from the hospital the Friday before Father’s Day so we could properly celebrate him.
Although ultimately my father did not want the bypass surgery, we accepted God’s will in this situation. We received so much prayer and confirmation during this time. I just wanted to encourage someone to let you know that even if things do not end up the way you anticipated, God is still in control. He WILL turn your mourning into dancing. One of my mentors reminded me “God is. God can. God will”.
There were other factors that kept me busy for the past couple months, however, I wanted to share this testimony. I look forward to getting back on track with all the blog posts, videos, events and new apparel. Stay tuned & God Bless!!
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle Joseph