Purpose, not Healing

 

The other day, I was reminiscing my journey with my daughter Avery Eyram Awadzi, who lives with cerebral palsy. I tried to analyze what has and continue to keep me going with a lot of positivity, optimism and hope and I think I found it.

I looked for purpose and not healing, I was not desperate in finding healing for my daughter by hook or crook, I was looking for purpose.

My, “why me’s” were not directed at healing but purpose. I honestly believe that asking why me in a situation is not bad at all, however the reason behind your why me should lead you to purpose and not frustration or despair.

So one of the very first moves I took when my daughter was only a year old was to isolate myself for prayer.

 I am someone who fantasizes spirituality and praying was my first option. In fact, in Ghana where I live, when you have a child with challenges, the first thoughts are usually spiritual, it is either someone wants your downfall and couldn’t get you so got your child or you have been cursed.

I told my husband I was going to the popular “Atwea Mountain” to pray, it wasn’t the first time I was going to Atwea to pray, I was regular at Atwea, prayer has been part of my life since infancy but this time I was going to seek purpose.

Atwea Mountains is famous for prayer and spiritual activities, it is a very high mountain located in the Ashanti region of Ghana, climbing it is very tedious and this time, I was going to climb it with my one-year-old daughter who isn’t walking because she has cerebral palsy, not only that I was pregnant, early stage of pregnancy with my son (smiling)

But I was determined, determine to seek purpose, questions on my mind at the time included: why should a young Lady who has been zealous for the Lord all her life, get married (the proper way) and give birth to a child with a challenge.

I had done everything right, during pregnancy but most importantly I had prayed fervently for this child. I really looked forward to being a Mother and this situation was too unexpected. That is why I titled my first book: The Unexpected, it chronicles my initial journey with my daughter with cerebral palsy, it is on Amazon, “The Unexpected by Adwoa Okorewaa”

https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Pain-Gain-Adwoa-Okorewaa-ebook/dp/B08CGP6D59

I also remember my husband asking when I told him I was going to Atwea Mountains to pray, that I am sure I was going to come back with a healed daughter (a question that made me laugh despite my sorrow at the time) my answer was an emphatic No, I told him that I know a gentleman by name Isaiah, he is physically disabled, a wheelchair user and a very good singer who features very regularly in our Atwea Mountains programmes.

The Presbyterians has a six monthly prayer retreat at the Mountains every year and Isaiah, the wheelchair singer, pays someone to carry him and his wheelchair up the mountain every time to feature in the programme by ministering to us in songs.

This gentleman Isaiah is very close to the Pastors and Prophets who lead in this programme and he has been doing it for years, yet every year he comes in his wheelchair.

I wasn’t expecting that just by going to the Mountains to pray, my daughter was going to rise up and walk just like Peter and Paul did for the “cripple” who laid in front of the Beautiful gate in the book of Acts.

I was looking for purpose not healing, I remember spending majority of the time I was at the Mountain crying without words, I didn’t know what to tell the Lord, I just felt pain at the time.

I must acknowledge, however, that pain teaches you things that happiness may never be able to teach you. I have learnt so much from pain, I have been blessed from pain and most importantly I have learnt that pain is not a stopper.

It was at the Mountains that I bought a book written by Dr Samuel Ofosu Onwona titled “Prayer, Praise and Worship”, that book challenged me to praise and worship God in spite of the challenges I was seeing an in doing that I found purpose.

My constant Prayer, praise and worship birthed The Special Mothers project -www.specialmothers.org one of the many purposes I found in having Eyram

Are you going through a painful situation in life? Be it nurturing a child with challenges, childlessness or whatever, I will advise that you look for purpose, in purpose, healing is found, joy is found, love is found and fulfillment is found.

Find Purpose!