Selah: Tell us your name and where you are from?
M: My name is Menya and explaining where I’m from is tricky; I feel like I am from so many places! To sum it up, I currently live just outside of Los Angeles, and I also have roots in the High Desert and the Midwest.
Selah: What is your faith story? What can you tell us about your personal life testimony?
M: If you would have asked me this question a year ago, I would have had a very predictable story about growing up in a Christian household and maintaining that lifestyle through adulthood. I’ve suffered a great deal of loss, including the loss of my mother, but I never connected those losses to my faith story. I was always a believer and that was that. It wasn’t until August 2019 that a major disruption, or perhaps a better title would be divine intervention, jolted me into thinking about my faith on a deeper level.
I’m going to back up a bit to give you a better understanding.
Throughout my entire life, I always followed the rules. I was a master at operating in a box. I had my whole life planned out by 10 years old. I knew the details about my future marriage, number of kids, pets, home, job… everything. I held on to these plans so tightly, that they became expectations and I assumed that as long as I followed God’s rules, all of these expectations would happen. The only problem was that my list was not coming into fruition despite the fact that I worked so hard to follow the rules. I became a single mother (of an AMAZING child!), the possibility of marriage was fleeting, my tiny apartments didn’t fit the expectation of a home, my mother died unexpectedly, nothing was going according to my plan. So, what did I do? I worked harder to ensure that my plans took shape. Part of that included being in a long-term relationship that I thought would result in marriage. Then, God interrupted. My 4-year relationship ended abruptly (that is a whole other story!) and I was spiritually raw. In hindsight, I realize that this interruption to my plan was probably one of many that God carried out over the years, but I wasn’t ready to slow down and listen until now.
I had 2 choices:
I could revert back to my list of expectations and make a new plan, or
I could truly surrender to God.
Blessedly, I chose the latter. I threw myself into the arms of God through fasting, vigorously reading His Word, ridding myself of my childhood expectations, and seeking His will for my life.
I came to the realization that I was always a believer and I was pretty good at following the rules, but I lacked relationship. Growing up, I saw how much my mother was in love with Jesus and I always just assumed that I would do the same if I kept following the rules. But I was so wrong. I needed to see God for myself, not only as the God of my mother. When I finally understood who I am in Christ and discovered the role that God plays in my personal life, I fell in love. I have more joy now than I ever had while I was chasing lists and following rules. It took 36 years and quite a few disappointments, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
Selah: What is your favorite scripture and why?
M: My mother was always in her word. We would come across her handwritten scriptures posted on index cards all over the house. I still have many of her scripture cards and I started to write my own. One scripture I have written that I hold tight to is Genesis 32:24-25. In these scriptures, Jacob wrestles with God in his tent, refusing to let go until he’s blessed. After Jacob has this experience, there is a shift in his identity. He receives a new name, Israel, and he no longer refers to God as “the God of my father” and “the God of Abraham”. Instead, he sees God as his God, his personal redeemer. I love this scripture because it reminds me of my personal journey with God. It wasn’t until I had to wrestle with my reality and my expectations that I saw God as my own.
Selah: If there was one nugget of wisdom in your walk and growth in Christ that you would want to leave us with, what would that be?
M: I feel a special connection to women who feel hopeless. I’ve been there and I would like to share my nugget of wisdom with them:
"God is a restorer and restoration is a beautiful process. He is not bound by time because He is time, but we can’t start that restoration process until we surrender. Let go, let God! I know it’s cliché, but I believe it is the only way to have true joy in Christ. When we surrender, we are truly trusting God, and we can’t trust someone we don’t know. That means we have to be in our Word daily, we need to fast, we need to pray, we need to worship, and we need to slow down and take the time to allow God to work through us."
Selah: Do you have any resources (devotionals, books, studies) that have helped you that you would recommend?
M: I am a strong believer in fasting. There are plenty of YouVersion bible studies and books on fasting, but I highly recommend Jentezen Franklin’s book Fasting and the corresponding 21-day fasting journal.
I also recommend the “Dreams Redeemed” YouVersion Bible study my Harmony Grillo. She has an amazing story of restoration.
Selah: This is great Menya! Where can we find you online?
M: Instagram: @prfectly_imperfect
Wow, I can personally totally relate to Menya's story of restoration, surrender, and identity. If you are journaling or would like to share below, What areas are you trusting God to heal or restore today?
Prayer for today:
Father, again I thank you for your faithfulness in and out of every season. I thank you that you are a father that seeks to heal our whole heart, not just the parts we reveal. I lift up every reader of this post today. I pray that those going through your process of restoration may be kept in the confidence that you are working all of their circumstances for their good right now. Your word says that we can make our plans, but your will will always prevail. I am praying for those struggling with control today. I ask that you give them spiritual eyes to see beyond the right now. I ask that you release insight so that in hindsight they can recognize your hand and your presence in their situation. For every person feeling alone or abandoned, I ask that you remind them that you are right there with them, even in this. And lastly I thank you for your daughter Menya in sharing her brave testimony. I pray over every person that has shared their story and those that continue to share their story. I pray your proverbs 11:25 promise over their lives: that as they continue to refresh others that they would be refreshed. In Jesus' name,
Amen
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