“Lord, You want me to do what?” “Hmmmm!”
“That doesn’t sound like something I would like to do, nor am I qualified!” “Are you sure, Lord?”
Yes, I questioned God about this new chapter in my life that He was orchestrating. I did not see it coming! You see, I was in the nursing field for 27 years and now God cornered me into leading a publishing company.“Seriously,” I said to the Lord, “You got jokes.” Well, I need to be grateful because God knew a day would come when I would no longer be able to physically manage being a nurse.
Physical challenges
Many often say they will never forget the day when something traumatic happened. Well, I can’t remember the exactday, but it was October 2013. I was getting dressed to go to work around 4:45 a.m. I leaned against my bed to put on my socks, and I could not move. The pain was unbearable! My husband, James, was still sleeping, and I did not want to wake him up, so I just stayed leaning against the bed. “Babe, what’s wrong?” He asked in a sleepy voice, a fewminutes later. “My back is in a lot of pain and I cannot move.” My husband had to carry me back to the bed. I really wantedto scream out in pain, but I didn’t. I went to see doctors, got physical therapy, and steroid injections in my back, but nothingreally worked. The next step was surgery. “NOT HAPPENING.”
During this time my husband was going through a major crisis with a bone marrow disease. He was being treated formyelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
His bone marrow lacked the ability to produce sufficient red blood cells. He was placed on medication that was not working. Hewas given steroids to help with the side effects from the medication that he took for his condition. Repeated blood tests, bloodtransfusions, etc. It was an overwhelming period in our lives to say the least. But what took away my freedom to go to workallowed me the opportunity to care for my husband through the long months and several years until his healing came.
A significant breakthrough came when our daughter, Raquel, unselfishly became my husband’s half match stem cells donor. On November 1, 2016, he received the bone marrow transplant, and now we praise God for James is doing great and trying to make up for lost time with a vengeance. As I am writing this article, I am also thinking. “Lord, how did we manage to get throughthis?” “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6, ESV). Thank you, Jesus!
God prepared me
My husband always talked about wanting to do more for children living in challenging communities outside of thechurch. He wanted to create a path to help make their dreams come true through creative book-writing opportunities. Fromthis idea, The DeVan Group Publishing was born. From
nursing to publishing. I had so much fear because this was a totally new space. I was extremely apprehensive and had little enthusiasm. After all, what do I know about publishing? This is when I realized that I was already prepared! My husband has written over 18 books and resources for which I did most of the first tier editing and saw how the entire process came together.
It was not until I was representing my company at a special event for the Governor of New Jersey and basketball Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal, that I realized that God and I are about to dominate in the male dominated world of publishing company CEOs. God has not only prepared me but surrounded me with an A-Team that is committed to helping hundreds of schools, churches, and community organizations around the world who normally cannot afford to publish their amazingstories. It was at this point that I also realized that my business is my God-given ministry.
What’s next?
So many times we think that because of our circumstances we have limitations. Then God shows us that every step was part of an assignment to something greater. God turned an unfortunate situation into an unprecedented
opportunity. Yes, I live in pain every day of my life, but that’s not “gonna” stop me! Instead, I am constantly asking theLord, “What’s next? I am ready, chronic pain and all!”
I encourage you to surrender everything to Jesus. Surrender your joys, doubts, fears, insecurities, and plans. WatchGod show up and show out in your life. To God be the glory for the great things He continues to do!
Reflection Questions
Are you going through a new beginning? Have you seen God’s hand guiding you in the process? Describe.
Are you in need of a new beginning? Do you believe that God can turn an unfortunate situation or a majortransition such as retirement, into an unprecedented opportunity in your life?
God is not done with you yet. Write down ways that God has been using you or ideas about how He cancontinue using you in the future.
Maxine C. Black serves as the president & CEO for The DeVan Group Publishing in Largo, MD. She and her husband James have three adult children and seven joyful grandchildren. They enjoy frequentfamily outings, gardening, traveling, community engagement, and their motorcycle. Together, they have learned that life is even sweeter when you get a secondchance.