But God...

The other day I wore one of my favorite t-shirts. It says “But God” and references Ephesians 2:4-6. On March 23rd (my dad’s 68th birthday), I experienced a But God moment as I was involved in a minor car accident. The accident could have been major as I was literally seconds and probably an inch away from losing my life -- totally no exaggeration. I only shared this with a few people; not even my own Momma because it really shook me to my core. For about 4-5 days, I hardly talked and couldn’t really eat. The following Tuesday morning, I received a phone call from a dear friend/Mentor/Soror who knew about the accident. She said that I had been so heavy on her heart & she wanted to make sure I was okay. I honestly don’t remember my response but I remember her saying, “Itisha, it was not your time. This should reassure you of God’s presence in your life. He is always with you.” And of course since I was at work with a group of youth 10 feet away from me, I turned my back to them as I felt the tears rolling down my face. So today, exactly 30 days later, I am beyond grateful to wake up for my 39th birthday. God gave me another opportunity to reach my goals, pour into my children, love on the special people in my life, and just be me. I very well could have been sleeping in my grave (as the old folks say)… BUT God. When I look back over these 39 blessed years, I recognize quite a few BUT God moments. Situations when I could have lost my whole entire mind. Situations when I felt like all my joy was gone. Situations that are so super crazy that if I would tell it, most people wouldn’t even believe it could actually be true. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to tell the stories. What I will say though is I thank God for separating me from certain people and removing me from situations that held me in bondage so for everything I lost… thank you for setting me free. March 23, 2018 could have been the end of my dash. As of this moment, and THIS day, I am continuing to live in my dash. April 22, 1979 -- ? That is nobody BUT GOD! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! And may the good Lord keep on keepin’ me.