Monday, October 21, 2013

A brief synopsis of my life!

My Life 
Gary Milton Griffith SR 

As I think back as far as I can remember, I was a quiet child, I didn't say much but I did have a love for life. Then one day after taking the sugar cube vaccination for polio at the age of 6 years old, my mother found out that I contracted a touch of the thing that I had been vaccinated for, polio had gripped my young body. This disease made me very sick and weak, I would spent the next 6 months in the hospital fighting for my young life as it was. I had to endure daily hot packs wrapped around my entire body, as well as ice baths and a constant assault of spinal taps and tests after tests.

During my stay in the hospital, many came to see me, my mother brought the preacher to pray for me and many other prayer warriors came to pray as well. 
I believe what the Bible says in James 5:16b, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man holds a lot of power and it yields great results . Yes it was the prayers and God honor those prayers, He was in the hospital guiding those doctors and nurses that work to get this disease in hand. But after 6 long months I went home, then that quiet young boy was no longer quiet, my energy level had doubled and my gift for gab was born! It was during that time that the preachers and many others would begin to prophesy over my life; a preacher is what they said I would be. I never understood what that meant or why God would allow my body to be ravaged by this disease, but later it all makes sense, God was using me for a purpose, for His glory,  He would use me to tell my story, so that another life can benefit from my experience that would truly bring honor and glory to God!

After much therapy the strength in my arms and legs begin to return and everything appeared to be alright, but as I grew my right arm and hand did not grow as fast as the rest of my body, leaving me with a slightly withered right arm and hand. As I grew older, my right hand would become very visible to all my young peers and then I would become the object of their ridicule, taunts and teasing, as children can be very cruel and because of that I became very bitter and jealous of what they were, normal, so called, but I would learn how to hide my hand in my pocket just to escape the ridicule of those that did not know. 
I became so embarrassed that I would never wear short sleeve shirts, instead I would wear long sleeves to hide my right arm that was smaller than my left.

After years of hiding and enduring, God set my mind free, I no longer felt indifferent, because I understood God's perfection, I was created in His image and physical appearance has nothing to do with it! This is why I continue to praise Him everyday of my life, even through the darkest times of my life, I praise Him while I'm up and when I'm down! 

Years later the prophecy did come true, I became a preacher, preaching the good news to everyone and to anyone! I would later become a ordained Elder in the Church of the Living God, this was the church I grew up in and my mother was a long standing member. 

You would think, that because I was a preacher that I would have it all together, but that was not the case, soon my life would spiral in a downward spin; let me tell you, disobedience would cause me a world of pain and heartache! I would lose my job, and if that wasn't all, the church that I grew up in and became an Elder, would take my license to preach away, all because I receive a wet reckless charge. I can not totally blame them, because after the death of my mother something change within me, I began to live my life with a don't care attitude and as I slipped  further and further away, I was void of the support I really needed, yes, I did have people that said it would be ok, but the true transparency of another was not there; there was many false faces but none that truly spoke to my soul. 
But let me tell you how good God is, what the devil meant for bad, God would turn it around for my good! Yes I may have issues, my life made not be perfect,  but God was not through with me yet, there would be some godly mentors that would come into my life, men that would keep me accountable and I would have a new place to call home, a news church family under the leadership of Reverend Glen R Shields at progressive community church!

I am still a preacher, my pulpit is now on the stage of life, my audience is the readers of Facebook and Twitter and those that receives my daily text messages. I'm still preaching to the world through the poetry that I write, as God uses me to give inspiration to those that may be hurting or in need of a comforting word, or just  some good-old encouragement. 

Now I'm facing a new challenge, the doctors have found a tumor taking up the space of the pituitary gland in my head, I know this is just a temporary set back because I know God is with me. My attitude is totally different now, I am NOT a defeated person, I live My life victoriously through Christ Jesus! 

Sometimes things are difficult I must admit, I have headaches, my hormones are all out of whack and with surgery looming over my head, sometimes it gets a little scary but I have my strength in God and all my hope, even though I am going through it I still find time to give Him glory, to bring him honor and to tell somebody about His goodness, God is not through with me yet and whatever the future holds, this is my life!!!