Merci Lakesha McKinley - The Harvest

The Harvest

The Harvest

Merci L. McKinley

I2E

Inspiration2Empower Press

The Harvest

Published by Inspiration2Empower Press

Copyright 2017 by Merci L. McKinley

This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form by any means, graphics, electronics, or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews, quotes, or references. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the New International Version Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, INC. Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the King James Version Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Published by:

Inspiration2empower Press

Editor:

Merci L. McKinley

www.mercimckinley.com

Publishing consultant:

Professional Woman Publishing, LLC

www.pwnbooks.com

Cover Design:

For more information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact

Merci L. McKinley at

ISBN: 978-0-692-87145-4

ISBN: 978-0-692-96505-4 (e-book)

Library of Congress Number: 2017905251

Printed in the United States of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD

The Harvest is a manifesto of Christian womanhood that celebrates the faith and resilience we all have as children of God and the power we hold within us as His daughters to survive, overcome, grow and transcend in any circumstance. Its a must read!

Ambassador Dr. Margaret Dureke, President & CEO, WETATi, Margaretspeaks.com & author of How to Succeed Against All Odds!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank God, His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, for their unconditional love and support. They have never forsaken me. I thank God for allowing me to experience not worldly love, but love filled with spiritual balance through rebirth in Christ. I also thank God for sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, so we can all have life more abundantly. Jesus is The Bread of Life that can neither be defined nor taken away by man.

Thank you, to my family, especially my parents and grandmothers who made sure I had seeds of faith planted within me. To my mother, who gifted me with the Bible when I was in fourth grade, I give an abundance of gratitude. It is this gift that directed me, time and time again, to the Almighty, Merciful God. That Bible sustained me through my many trials and tribulations. There are simply no words to express my overwhelming gratitude.

INTRODUCTION

Why I Wrote the Harvest

I lived in shame which led me to hide the full extent of what I suffered. I hid it quite well. In hiding, I wasnt living. I would wake up by the grace of God each day, but I wasnt thriving. I placed myself inside a box, both mentally and emotionally. By now, youre probably saying to yourself this is no way to live. I know there are others who are still living the same way. Through my praying to God, I realized none of us were born inside a box. Its our way of thinking that places us there. The stronger I grew in my faith, the more I understood the box didnt exist. The courage to speak comes from recognizing it was God who kept me and He will continue to sustain me. In my denial and cover-up, I had only God to rely upon. I prayed as if my life depended upon it, because quite often it did.

I searched for answers and a sense of fulfillment. I looked to man to provide the answers. I found unhealthy ways to provide fulfillment and validation. I was overwhelmed with unhealthy feelings when I reflected on my past:

Abandonment--because of my biological mother.

Uncleanliness--because of being molested while growing up.

Unworthiness--because of suffering sexual trauma in the military.

Unlovedbecause of a physically abusive romantic relationship.

I cried out to God, desperately needing Him to breathe life back into my existence. I was a shell of a person; walking amongst the living. Yet, though I walked, I wasnt truly living. When I cried out, he listened. When I cried out, he answered. I simply had to let go, and let God. I had to let God do the mending. It no longer became a matter of why, but more of how. I lost years of my life due to trauma. When one storm came, another surely followed. For years, my life was this vicious cycle. I carried burdens and bore crosses. In God, I learned some crosses are not mine to bear. The burdens I carried were not mine to own. God lifted those burdens. I just had to learn how to allow Him to lift those burdens. Oftentimes, when we desperately want to release ourselves from our burdens, we dont know how. Out of habit, we pick these burdens up again.

I was so guilty of these very same habits. Until I had to allow God to show me the way, break the habit, and never return to it God blessed me with my grandmothers and my mother. They understood the importance of Proverbs 22:6 KJV Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. God allowed them to give me the gift of learning how to have a relationship with Him for myself. I am a firm believer that sometimes we die before our time. Physically, I didnt perish, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually, I did. It was a struggle to not let my faith be taken by circumstances. It was a struggle, but my God; our God fought for me. Tears that once flowed from brokenness, flowed from wholeness. Tears that once flowed from hurt not yet spoken, flowed from a voice that has risen. If God can do this for me, He can do the same for you.

I know what its like to weather the storms of life. I know what its like to question my existence. I know what its like to be brought to my knees and struggle to increase my faith. As a student of life, I know of many things and travel the journey of life with you. There are questions that burn within us and we seek answers. They can only be gathered from our spiritual walk and Christian faith. How can we continue to claim the answers to our questions and grow in strength? How can we stand upright physically and move beyond being wounded mentally? How can we truly stand upright in God and with God? In The Harvest, my personal testimony will show that with God, it is very much possible. We are born into this world, but we must be born again in Jesus Christ. In His love, we can always perform to our fullest abilities. I dont profess to have a one-size-fits-all answer, but I know God will ultimately provide answers to each of us.

My why is to present a gift before you. As you read The Harvest, my hope is to propel you forward into your Christian walk. My hope is for you to embrace the same gift I was given and allow God to do the mending!

CHAPTER 1

A Testimony

Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life message and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.

Rick Warren

I heard that God gives us a testimony for certain reasons. The testimony is not for us to keep within ourselves, but to share with others. As Christian women, we are called to teach. Like Jonah, sometimes we attempt to escape or reason ourselves out of His call to teach and to minister. Sometimes, we think because of our past transgressions, we are not qualified to testify. God often calls the unqualified to do the work only He can accomplish through them. Im not a pastor, but merely called to testify. When God calls us, we must listen in order to serve a greater need beyond ourselves. I humbly answered that call because I know someone needs to hear what has been placed within me to speak. My testimony is already many pages, as He has allowed, with more chapters of my life to come.