Letting God Lead: From Loss to Provision with Derisha

In this powerful and faith-filled episode, I sit down with Derisha as she shares her incredible testimony of surrender, healing, and God’s undeniable provision.

Derisha opens up about what it truly means to let God lead every area of your life—even when it’s uncomfortable. She vulnerably shares her journey of struggling with gluttony, learning to root her identity in Christ, and how God lovingly corrected her when she placed her husband above Him.

After experiencing the heartbreaking loss of her husband, Derisha takes us through how God carried her through grief and revealed Himself as her true source. From supernaturally providing a car and a home, to calling her into writing a book and stepping boldly into street evangelism—her story is a testament to God’s faithfulness.

She also shares a powerful moment in the hospital where God showed her the importance of advocating for herself, ultimately leading to her overcoming illness.

This episode is for anyone who is:

•  Learning how to surrender control to God 
•  Struggling with identity or unhealthy habits 
•  Navigating grief or loss 
•  In need of a reminder that God will provide 

Derisha’s story will encourage you to trust God deeper, walk in obedience, and remember that your identity is found in Him alone.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Believe with English. We are in a series of testimonies. Um, the Lord has graced me to meet Deresha and to hear her wonderful story. I'm super excited for what's in store today for you all to hear her testimony, to relate, and just to really see how faithful the Lord is. So without further ado, I'm gonna turn it right over to you. Deresha, introduce ourselves, let us know exactly who you are.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Well, hello, hello, hello, everybody. Hello, English. Thank you for having me here today. Uh, to God be all the glory. Uh, my name is Deresha Prophet. I am an author, published author. Um, I'm the CEO and founder of Staylits and Grow and Glow Connection. Um I am working on a couple other things, so be be uh, you know, just watch out. Just watch out.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Yes, absolutely. Amen. I'm super excited to have you. Um, you know, we had a pre-conversation, and so just hearing your story is amazing, and I know other people will be touched by it as well. We're gonna start with just flatline. How did you come to meet Christ?

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Oh, well, I met Christ at a very, a very young age, um, honestly. I started going to church probably well as a baby. My mother um and my father's relationship was necessary, obviously. Um, my father's side of the family were very religious um all my life. So I grew up in Church of God and Christ. I think I was probably four in the choir. Um, my grandmother is a seamstress, so she was making choir roles for me to actually match them. And um, I gave my life to the Lord. I want to say it like maybe between 14 and 16 was the first time that I actually had an encounter with Christ.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Wow. What is an encounter with Christ look like at that young age?

SPEAKER_02 2:01

Man, it was, you know, honestly, it was something that I had never really experienced. I mean, my grandparents, they kept me in church, right? And so I remember like getting the Holy Ghost. I didn't know what was happening at a young age, but it was amazing. But I think for me, I didn't understand it in its entirety. Um, because of course when you go to certain churches, I mean, they they teach you things, but as a child, it's you still, you know, obviously outside the home is is necessary, you know. I mean, outside of the church is necessary. And so it was just like a lot of stuff I didn't understand, but I just went because that's you know how I was raised or where I was raised.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Absolutely. Let's talk about um how you began to build a personal relationship with Christ and what did it, what did life look like before that? Like from childhood to going into your teen years. Um, and you can let us know when you when your personal relationship actually began with Christ.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Oh, it was so many years. Because as I say it before, you know, being raised in church, it was one thing. Like I just knew that it was a requirement, right? In the household. Um, I knew that, you know, going to Sunday school, we learned things of the Bible, we had to participate in all the activities, Easter speeches and things of that nature. But my life, you know, I knew that I was supposed to show up a certain way, but to really, really, really know God in a different level, that didn't start until I was older. Because honestly, being honest, you know, the lifestyle that I was required to live, it wasn't fun to me at a young age. You know, I seen everybody else live in a certain type of way, and I wanted to do what everybody else was doing. Um, ideally, I didn't understand why. So my real, real walk with Christ um didn't flourish until my adult years, honestly. Um, and that was closer to I had my daughter at the age of 25. Um, so up until that time, I was living kind of raggedy, if I may say. Um, not kind of, but real raggedy, you know. Um I I didn't know, you know, but uh to God be the glory for that. But I will say, like prior to that, um, when I was younger, of course, like I stated, you know, being with my grandparents all of my life, my mother's parents and my great my father's parents, they both always celebrated everything, right? We would go to church. I remember I would be probably, I think I was maybe about one or two, right? And my mother stayed in a two-family flat. My grandparents were downstairs. I would make my way downstairs after I ate breakfast and go down there and they would eat feed me again. Literally. This started as a child, right? So not understanding that that wasn't a good thing. I love food. And so going to church with my grandparents on my dad's side, my grandfather would literally pick me up and he would have them, if they were in the basement cooking chicken before church, he was giving having them make me chicken and fago pops before church started. So I'm eating that, then we're going out to dinner and everything. So it was so funny because they always wanted, they meant well. They always wanted to make sure that I was fed, but ideally, I began to have an ad not necessarily, well, yeah, an addiction to food. So I love to eat, right? And so because I realized that they celebrated everything, I mean, with food. I mean, I'm not gonna not try to be funny when I say this, but you know how they say celebrate failure, right? So even if grief or anything is happening, everybody's bringing food to the occasion, right? And so, you know, it was unfortunate because my relationship with food, it was, it was, it became not I'm gonna say a curse because it was an idol for me. Yeah, so as a child, I realized that I ate all the time and I made unhealthy decisions. So ideally, it was like, you know, when I look back, it was the things that were not good for me that were comforting. So chips, fried foods, things of that nature. I started drinking coffee at the age of one. My grandmother was giving it to me with more cream than anything, but it was still a taste. I'm 47 right now and I still drink coffee. So those are just little things. But to make a long story short, I didn't realize that my relationship with food was actually an idol until I got older and my weight got out of control. Um, and so it hindered me a lot in a lot of different things where my weight just plunged. Um, and I want to say in my teenage years, I was probably well over 200 pounds. And so it became, you know, very, very hard for me to do a lot of things that I wanted to do, um, including, you know, run track and I was a majorette in uh elementary school and going into middle school. So I walked in the, you know, the Thanksgiving parades and did a lot of things that my friends did. And I was always flexible, even as a big girl, but the weight hindered me in a lot of different ways. Um so it it was a lot of different things. A lot of different things. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Um I will say, like, even like in black communities, like food is a way that like we get together and we come together um to to celebrate, as you said, or even in times of grief, and sometimes we're not aware of how it can become an idol and how it it can get to a place where you may be overweight or depending on. And I would say, even like just right now in our society of 2016, you see how the POP was, you see so much his push for identity and being like this is how you know men are gonna want you, and you know, how society is gonna treat you kindly. Can you share like any stories of like maybe being larger, what that did to your identity, how you allowed people to treat you, how you treated yourself, like what can really be some of the harms of allowing food to be an idol and like what that does to your identity? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 7:45

So, you know, at the time you never really understand what it's doing to you, right? But you realize that people look down at you when you're overweight. Unless you've been there, you don't know the effect that it has on a person. You know, it's just like some of the comments I would hear people say, you know, she's big, she probably smells like fish, or she smells like this. And I even hear that right now. And I feel my heart goes out to those individuals because I've always been one to always uh be taught, you know, the proper hygiene. So that was always a myth, right? And so it was always a stigma that people had on bigger people, so they treated us differently. Therefore, we felt like we had to overindulge to make you know people like us. And so I would do things to validate my existence in other people's lives, where I started smoking weed, I started drinking, I started having sex at the age of 16. And then, you know, with that, I began to be very, very rebellious. And not even those things, it was me just rebelling against my mother because she was trying to save me from a world that hurt her, right? But at the time I didn't realize it because I just felt like she was trying to just keep me from doing what I want to do. But no, it was she was trying to keep me away from the wolves, you know, and from hurting myself because she at first been hurt. And so I didn't give her any grace in that regard because I was mad. I wanted to do what I wanted to do. So when I got put out the first time at the age of 16, I soon learned my way that, you know, the world was not um very, very friendly, right? And so I began to make drugs and sex and, you know, alcohol and idol. Um, and I battled with that for years, unfortunately, you know. Um, and so those things kind of kind of became, you know, and not only just sex, but obviously the love of men, right? Because growing up also, I didn't realize that the food and everything that I was indulging in, it was comforting, right? So anything that gave me comfort was what became an idol. So ideally, men became an idol as well. Uh, because, you know, my father, he was there, but I'm the oldest out of my mom and my father. And for me, it's like, okay, of course I didn't give grace again because I didn't know what it was, but understanding that they were young when they had me, you know, I was seeking to have some comfort somewhere. So whatever gave me comfort is what became that idol in my life. And it just kind of plunged out of control.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Yes. Thank you so much for sharing that. Um, and I think too, like this just helps, you know, people listening, like we have to be kinder to people. I don't think like society or the world like conditions us to be kind at all, but definitely with the stigmas of folks who are larger, you know, and we have to be more kind because we don't know what's going on behind there, right? And especially like this, somebody can be struggling if someone is super, super skinny, tiny, like we shouldn't be, you know, talking to them. And a lot of people, we all are walking around with different stuff and we're trying to hurt other people, you know, at the end of the day. But I think you made a really good point too about your mom trying to protect you from the outside world. Um, and I think parents they definitely do the best that they can. Um, but sometimes as teens, you don't understand, we can't always look at what our parents are telling us from like a positive lens. And that's something that I dealt with too growing up. Like not always understanding why my mom is telling me certain stuff and not not being confident is from a the the best place ever, you know what I'm saying? And so I think, you know, as I go into motherhood and you know, you know, you you are a mom, just any like quick advice on maybe just sharing with our kids a little bit more of a round story so that they can feel more confident in why we are being protective of them.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

Yes, yes, you know, um, the thing is like in the Bible it says train up a child, right? In the way that they should grow. So as they grow old, they don't depart from the word. And that is where the foundation starts initially, right? But I realize that, you know, us as mothers, we don't always have the right answers. And if we're not healed, how can we teach our children something, right? So we do the very best that we can with what we're given. And ideally, we have to understand that all of us have to grow through, right? Because my daughter watched me, I had my daughter at 22. And so she grew up with me just as well as I grew up with my mother. My mother was 19 when she had me. And so at the time, I didn't know what grace was, right? And I didn't, I didn't want to extend forgiveness either because I felt like I I knew what I knew, I wanted what I wanted, and I didn't care because it was all about what I wanted, right? But it's so important for you to allow God to do a work in you so that you can be the best example or the better example for your children, right? And so if you don't go through anything, how can you grow through it, right? And so that's the thing. I'm grateful that I watched my mother go through the struggles. I'm grateful, I don't not grateful. I'm not gonna say I'm not grateful that she didn't go, that she went through. I'm very grateful that she had the experiences that she had because it made her stronger, right? She's still going through, she's still coming out. I'm gonna say that. Still coming out on the other side. So we never not have tests, if that makes sense. And so even with me, my daughter has watched me flourish, you know, even you know, to the point of me being where I am right now, she's like, Man, God did a whole 360 on you. And but I had to allow it, right? Because it's not comfortable. And so me going back and looking at my mom and my father and extending that grace and saying, Man, y'all did what y'all could with what you had. I mean, you didn't know any better. So, how could you teach me something that you didn't know? You know? Yeah, that's really good. I answered that correct.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Yeah, you didn't you did. I think that's what what we're taking from it too is like just a responsibility of moving into motherhood, understanding how important it is that we allow God to heal us, that how important that we have that relationship um with Christ, so we're not maybe put putting that on our children, but no matter what, like this life comes with struggle and strife and trauma and all the things, but the Lord is sovereign and he's a redeemer. And even if we start in chaos, we can see what the Lord can do when we allow him, as you shared. Um, I wanted to ask about the dangers of offense and unforgiveness because you brought them up with being, you know, unforgiving to your parents at that time back then, and like having offense for them, and um maybe even blaming some of your family of allowing like food to be out of control and like you know, not having proper guidance, you know. I would love to hear like what can offense and unforgiveness do.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

Oh, well, first and foremost, it will keep you from being forgiven from the Lord. So, you know, that's first and foremost. If you don't forgive, that's the first and first and foremost. If you don't know, you know now. So that is we have to forgive. If you want God to forgive you, you have to forgive. And so ideally for me, man, I didn't realize until God snatched me up. It was 2019, I was 40 years old. He said, It's time. And I didn't, I said, time for what? And he said, it's time for you to forgive. And I'm like, Well, what do you mean? Because I had spoken with my lip, my lips, but my actions didn't align up. And so he showed me that ideally I didn't forgive my parents wholeheartedly because the things that were still happening and coming up, I would still be offended by it. Yeah, and so I didn't realize that me not forgiving them was causing me to operate in a spirit of offense. So when things happen, I would be easily offended. So he's like, that's why you're mad, because you haven't let it go. So ideally, when you like he says, he throws things in a sea of forgiveness, right? So we have to be the same. We have to love covers a multitude of sin, right? So if we love, which is the first commandment, then we have to exemplify that by forgiving and leaving it where it was, because also it it allows us to extend grace, right? And so when you forgive people, you extend grace because, like for me, when I when he told me at the age of 40 to forgive my parents, my prayer was, well, God, I thought I did, but since I didn't, you show me how to forgive as you forgive me. Lord, you show me how to extend grace as you extend me and show me how to see others as you see me. And so that's how I was able to move in the vein in which I move in now because the Lord really started to do something in me. But I had to because again, I was walking around thinking I did, but I was always mad, you know, still upset at this and still upset with that. But once I did that, the Lord was able to show me the errors of my ways and for me to go back and allow him to do a new thing in me. I couldn't blame them for what they didn't know. I had to be the example. So when God said it starts with you, I was like, Well, I'll be. You know, I was kind of mad though, because I was like, Well, why does it have to start with me? But somebody has to be the bigger person, right? And when you don't know, you don't know. So me giving my parents grace and forgiving them, when I tell you it opened up a whole different level for me and a whole different realm. God elevated me in a sense where it happened so fast that I became so much more mature, but it also removed scales from my eyes to allow him to do what he needed to do in me. And that just, you know, opened up the door for um just new relationships as well, and me understanding and identifying where my parents needed, you know, help as well, and for me to pray for those things.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

Yes, that's so good. And I I really relate to that. Um, I with my biological dad, like there the Lord has worked so much on me. I forgot what book it is, but it's a book that I read. I wish I could know the name. It's Brown, but it just about just taught us how to be better Christians and live our walkout. And we got to a chapter about honoring our parents, and like my dad had never really been in my life, but the Lord was like, regardless, I'm telling you what to do. I'm not I'm not asking about his actions, I'm not asking about any of that. I I'm asking you to be a daughter that honors your parents, and like you need to forgive him. And so, similarly to you, I feel like with my mouth I have, like I had, you know, I've had multiple conversations with my father, but I think even too, there's another level of that that the Lord can expose you to, you know what I'm saying? Like just to even soften your heart even more. And so the Lord is working on me with that, like just being like English. I know you there's no like strife there, but I still want you to show up in a way. Like, I still want and sometimes I feel like my dad feels captive about ways that he didn't show up when I was younger. And I'm like, Yeah, dad, like that, you don't have to stay there, like it's a new day today. Like, we can have a closer relationship. And I think there's so much power by by coming when you say, I love you, I forgive you. Like, I'm not even worried about that. I'm I'm worried about the future, like, and and what does that look like, and just being obedient to the Lord. And so I really appreciate that. And the biggest thing that I took away from it is like you praying and asking the Lord, well, show me God. And sometimes we are stagnant, we don't know what to do because we simply have not asked the Father to remove from our eyes. Show me, Lord, what does it look like in real time to do this? And so I feel convicted now to just go back to my prayer closet and be like, Okay, Lord, like I I'm feeling like okay, I'm forgiven, I talk about that here and there, but I know that there is more that I can do, even though I'm the daughter, right? I I'm the child, I still feel like there's more I can do. Yes. Um and that's the power of the Holy Spirit, you know, like it's not about your flesh, it's not about what makes logical sense, and we know that the Lord has forgiven us for the most wretched things, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:13

Like come on now, yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

Come on now, the Lord, we are very undeserving. So who am I? Yes, feel any type of way about any type of thing. So I really appreciate that. That's um, okay, I want to talk about your marriage, um, the marriage that you had and the relationship with your partner, and um just the power of going from maybe a worldly relationship to a to a relationship that's led by the Lord and the blessings that come in that. You can just share more about your story. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:56

Well, um, as I stated, you know, before when I spoke about, you know, having things become idols, even right. I met my husband at the age of 18, and I we actually kind of made it official at 19. I think I was like turning 20 when I moved in with him. And um, he was like he's not he was nine years older than myself. Um, and so he was a little more exposed, you know, in the world um than I was, but you know, we had both came from the streets. And so, like I said, I gave my life at a younger age, but I was teetering back and forth because I wanted to do what I wanted to do. So I wasn't living uh holy, well, I wasn't living a righteous life. Um so I had given my life, but I wasn't completely surrendering, right? And so meeting him, I was still somewhat of a church girl, but not a church girl, if that makes sense, because I was doing everything up the street. So, you know, even in Romans, you're supposed to conform to the ways, right? And not of the be of the world. So, you know, for me it it was like, yeah, not uh. So when we met, um, you know. We kind of had a very challenging relationship because we both came from broken homes and you know we were very toxic, honestly. We were, but we had a different type of love that nobody, I mean, everybody that knows us, you know, they were like, man, this is the perfect love story because we went from toxic to, you know, it was a beautiful thing when he left here. Um, so years we we were together 24 years when he passed away. Um, we were together 24, but Mary 17. And throughout that time, it was very trying because again, we were so busy in the streets. They, you know, had many names for us because of the connections that we had and the things we needed. But we all were struck by each other. I mean, it was very, again, like I said, we we dealt with so many different things, you know. Um uh, you know, and for me, it was like he became an idol because even though it was toxic, I stayed because he gave me an identity, unfortunately. Um, unfortunately, but fortunately, right? Because it needed to happen in order for me to be right now. Um so I idolized my husband in a sense where, you know, it was like he could do wrong, but he couldn't, you know. So I stayed even throughout it, you know. Um, and so over the years we learned, uh, we had our daughter at 22. Like I said, we got married at 25. I was 25. And throughout that life, when I had my daughter, that's when God really, really, really, really started to deal with me. Although he didn't speak to me until the age of 40 like he did then. But at the age of 22, 22, when I had my daughter, I knew that I wanted different for my daughter than I had. So he and I, we we started working on a lot of different things because I have a bonus son that's much older, but he wasn't in the home. So my husband wanted to give my daughter something that he wasn't able to give my daughter. So for me, we stayed because we wanted to provide her a two-family home, two-parent home that's something we didn't have. And then we worked it out. So over the years, he ended up, you know, of course, going to church because I was raised in church. We both started going back. The year we got married, which like I said, I was 25, I stopped smoking weed and um he dedicated his life. And so, you know, he was still like kind of teetering back and forth because of the business that we had too. You know, it was a lot of things that was going on, but he really, really started to find out who God was. And over those years, um, he really started to, you know, become better and better and obviously more mature. Um so he gave his life, but he really, really, really started living a surrendered life. Probably, I want to say he passed away in 2021. So like in 2020, 2016. Yeah. So um he uh gave his life and like well, like I said, he he actually received the Holy Spirit, I want to say, in 2020, 2016. Yeah, and uh we were together all that time. He got sick in 2015, and in 2016, he ended up having surgery and he lived until 2021. So yeah, I became his caretaker until he passed away pretty much like that last year was in 2021, 2020, 2020, and 2021, where he got worse and he passed in 2021.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

Sorry for your loss. Um tell us about the what that did to with your relationship with the Lord. Like, um, I think you said so many great things there of like how we can make our partners idols, you know, we can stay through it all. But I do think one beautiful thing about covenant and marriage is the Lord is faithful to return and the restore covenant, right? And so I think for people who are hearing this, like be mindful of the idols and things that you create. Um, but also know, like the Lord has the power to restore and what your relationship and marriage may look like in one season or you know, a batch of years may look completely different. Um but talk about when the the anger you kind of had with the Lord when your partner died and when he clearly spoke and you realized just how much of an idol your partner was.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

Oof. So that part right there was like, oh, Lord, hold on. So although, like I said, he had spoken to me at the age of 40, right? Because I told you, and I didn't state this at first, like my weight, right, had gotten so big I was over 400 pounds, right? So two years before my husband passed, the Lord had started to do a transformation on me. I was overweight, 416 was my biggest weight, and I lost the weight. Um, I ended up being featured on a commercial for Henry Ford. I ended up having my knees replaced because the Lord was positioning me um to be ready physically before my husband passed. And that was two years before he died. So now, fast forward to when he passed, I was like, man, you know, my husband kind of like he started feeling as though I was go, I was, I was elevating and he was declining, right? Because of his healing, I mean his health and everything. And so he started to kind of like pull away and digress, and it was just like a little anger, a little tension, a little retention between he and I because, you know, we were both like going opposite directions. And so I'm looking at the Lord because I'm like, Lord, what's what's happening here? You know, I thought, you know, it's my husband, you know, I'm doing this and I'm doing that. So as he was developing me and doing something in me, I was watching my husband decline. And, you know, I started to get angry because I'm like, Lord, I know I can't be by myself. What I'm gonna do without him, you know, this is literally what's going on in my mind, right? So the Lord kept telling me, focus on me. I got him. And so I'm like thinking, you know, he's gonna be better. And I'm like, okay, well, you telling me to focus on you, do this and do this. I'm working on me, working on me. But the whole time, again, I'm seeing him decline, right? So during the time he was going back and forth to the hospital, I'm like, Lord, I'm praying for him to make it out of here. Now he had been in the hospital so much that I continue to pray for his healing, but the Lord said, Focus on me. So I'm focusing on him the whole time. Still, ideally, I'm not noticing, I'm still making him an item. I'm praying, I'm praying, I'm praying. Like, Lord, I want him here, I want him here. But the Lord is like, focus on me. I'm like, okay. So fast forward when he passed away September of 2021, you know, before he passed, like he was in a hospital, I want to say maybe he was in the hospital, oof, probably about a month. And um, they had told us that he had six months to live. Right. And so he was like, you know, he was not trying to hear that. So he just kind of like at that point, I think he just kind of ignored it when they came in. The palette of care came in. He was just like, okay, can I finish my dinner? I'm like, wow, you know. So at that time it was like I didn't want to accept it, right? So again, we made peace. He was like my best friend when he passed away. Like he thanked me for everything, and the Lord allowed me to have closure in that moment. But it was like once he passed, I was just kind of angry because I was like, wait a minute, God, I have been praying for this and I prayed for that. You showed me my husband. Like the night that I went to go see him before he died, I could see the look on him. And so I was just so emotional that. But the next day I went and seen him, he looked like a newborn baby. Even my father looked at me and said, I don't mean any harm, but I've never seen him look this good before. And my daughter even said, My dad looks like a baby. So the Lord gave me closure to show me that he transitioned well, right? But even in that moment, it was just how fast the enemy will try to trip you or trick you out of your peace. Because I remember after the funeral, I was like, God, now what? Because you know, during the funeral time and everything, it's so much going on that you really don't have a chance to sit back and react realize that that person is not here, right? So I remember sitting up in my bed and I was like, mad, because I was like looking for that phone call. And in my mind, I hadn't come into agreement. I'm like, dang, he didn't call me this morning. I was like, wait, he's not calling. And I was like, so now what? Lord. And I remember just sitting in my bed, now what? So what what do I do now, Lord? You know, I'm I'm mad. Like you took my everything. I remember saying, You took my everything, Lord, now what? And the Lord said, I'm him. And I said, So what? He said, Do you trust me? I said, Of course, I don't have a choice. Because I'm mad, right? I don't have a choice. He said, Well, keep going. And so I was like, Well, what do you mean keep going? And he said, Keep going. That's all I would hear the Lord say was keep going. So after that, my life became a a a life of surrenderance, not even unwillingly, right? Initially, I didn't realize that I was unwillingly surrendering, but I made God my guided person or savior by Matthew 6 and 33, which says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. I didn't even realize that that's what I was doing by saying, Okay, now what, God? You utilizing him to be the the God who who he said he is, right? So when he said, Do you trust me? I said, Yes. I don't have a choice. I continue to go forward. And so that's that's how my life really, really turned around. It started at the age of 40, but it wasn't really surrendered until after my husband left. But that's when he started to show me that you made your husband an idol in your life. And so now, especially with me being an adult and not understanding how to operate as an adult by myself without my husband, it was definitely, definitely uncomfortable in the game in the beginning, but it was necessary.

SPEAKER_00 31:27

Wow. That's what a like just brave story, too. Like I think I just remember you saying, you know, why'd you take my everything? And the Lord is like, I'm your everything. And it's like, whoa, whoa, God, like I didn't even recognize, you know, because your husband, you are one with him. That's such a big part of life. Yes, you know, and it's it's really, really nerve-wracking to think about doing life without my husband. That is crazy. Yeah, uh, but the Lord, He checks me, He checks me, and I and my whole heart be checking me like English. Don't ever make your partner an idol, always seek the Lord first, and everything will be okay. And just knowing that even if the worst things happen, I will never lose God. God will ever, you know, and that's just such a hard thing to like grapple with and wrap your head around. Um, the Lord is sovereign and he grieves with us and like he understands you, and like he's not leaving you as a widow. And so I think just to wrap up the conversation, I I just want to hear how God has been a miracle work in your life, how the Lord has not forsaken you, how he's been a provider for you, just so other people, you know, wives or people who are grieving and feeling like I've lost my support system, I've lost and I've done life with. Like, how do I do this? Just tell us a couple of testimonies of the power of surrendering to a God who is a provider, to a God who's never gonna forsake you.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

Okay. Well, you know, as I stated before, you know, the way God showed me himself, right? Even in my husband's transition, show me to be who he said he is, right? He's a healer, he's a comforter, he's a restorer, you know, he's a provider, he's a way maker, he's omnipresent and all-knowing, right? So he knew what I needed before. So he knew that I needed to see my husband different to have that comfort and peace of mind that he transitioned to I I did what I was supposed to do, right? And so it was interesting. My brother had called me shortly after my husband put the passing, and he said, sis, I just wanted to tell you something. He said, The Holy Spirit told me in this late, he said, but the Lord said your husband made it because of your obedience. And so I said, Oh wow. And so I just thank God for that. But moving fast forward, you know, when the God snatched when the Lord snatched me up, it was necessary because he needed me to be where I am right now, you know, in a space where I would be a willing vessel to serve him, right? And so throughout this journey, I made God my GPS, literally, my guide, a personal savior, as I told him, okay, God, now what? And he would continue to talk to me every day. So, with that, you know, there were several different things that I was faced with. Um, I ended up having to move into an Airbnb for some months because the home that we occupied together, um, the homeowner told me a month before that she wanted us to leave because she was selling it. Me and my daughter had to go to an Airbnb. But because I listened to the Holy Spirit, it set me up for homeownership after three months in the Airbnb. Thank you so much. And these are things that I never thought that I could obtain, but I was able to do it just with me and God alone, right? And then after that, um, I went into the hospital last year. The Lord took me off my job. I went into the hospital, I was in there for 10 days, and I had three masks on my liver out of nowhere. Wow. Um, I ended up having chemo in June. One round or one injection of chemo. The mask devascularized, the biggest one it devascularized. But me listening to the voice of the Lord the 10 days I was in there, it allowed me to still be here to speak to you guys now. Because what he identified to me is had I not listened, I would have been dead because the doctors were telling me, oh, well, you can go home and do X, Y, and Z. The Lord said, no, advocate. And it was meaningful for meaningful for me to be there because they needed to find out the location and how to treat it accordingly for me to still be here. So, you know, I made it out. Um, 10 days, you know, 10 days in the hospital came out, had the chemo treatment, and the Lord said, now do what I told you to do, which ideally I had to write a book um in September and I published it. But then after that, and the last chapter is interesting. I could say this uh to go to the next miracle and testimony. Um, when he said, make the eighth chapter, chapter, green light go, victory ahead. And I was like, okay, Laura, so what's happening, right? So Green Light Go, Victory Ahead. Um, and I got out of the hospital, you know, last year was something. I published the book September 9th. After I published the book, because he was like, Now do what I told you to do. I said, Okay, so I wrote the book, published it, stuff, things just started to happen. Stuff started to show up in my favor. He's like, I got favor. You have favor following you, favor before you, and favor with you. And I'm like, okay, Lord. And my sister had called me and said, I was praying about you. And the Lord said, You are favored. And I'm like, Me? You know, so December came. He treated me to a cruise because I pray about everything. Before I do anything, the Lord said, take the money from here and there. And he used other people to bless me to have the spending money to provide for the cruise, okay? Wow. Then I came back from it. Well, while I was there, he had me sowing seeds of books to people. There was somebody that was delivered on the boat. There were several people that, you know, and I encountered that I was able to share my testimony. And so just the Lord using me as a vessel, I was on assignment, you know. And so then December came back. He, well, November, I'm sorry, November, he had me go anoint a vehicle. It was so funny because I'm like, anoint this vehicle. And my car broke down, and he told me, don't put any more money in that car, but drive your other one, right? So I'm like, I call it my scooter bug. So he's like, you need another vehicle to get around and do what I'm calling you to do. So November I anointed the vehicle. He told me to go back a month later and anoint the inside and test drive it. And I did December 29th, he said, go get your vehicle. And I said, huh? He said, go get your vehicle on Monday. So I went on Monday. And do you know they didn't ask me for any um, they didn't ask me to provide any income. They didn't ask me to provide anything. I got approved initially, like seven minutes later. I went and I'm like, Lord, what? I was like, this car note is ridiculous, though. You know, no money down. He told me, you're not putting no money down, you're not doing this, you're not doing that. And so I'm driving home that night and I'm just like, in all, I'm like, I never had a brand new car before. Like, Lord, this is what is happening here? So he said, look around. And I'm looking around, I'm like, oh my God, it's pink lights. He said, Yeah, that's your favorite color. It was customized for you. Like the woman with the issue of blood, your faith activated your blessing. Just like my house. So even when I got the car note, I said, Lord, how am I paying it? He said, The same way you're paying for your house. I'm I'm making ways. So if I tell you to do this, you do it. If I say move this, you move it. And watch me work. But because you are obedient, I'm gonna show you how I'll show up. So I tell everybody, obedience is better than sacrifice, and it's so necessary to obey God.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

I am in awe. I am in awe, I'm in awe, I'm in awe. This is just so good because you know it's a God thing, it's supernatural. Okay, no, no putting no credit, no money, no nothing. And the Lord be telling us stuff, and it's like, God ain't no way, but yes, it is a way through Him. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, you know, yes, gave you in that hospital said no, advocate for yourself, and you listen to Him and He saved your life. Like, yeah, I just helped people understand the power of being obedient to God, yes, even when it don't look like it, even when it doesn't make no sense, yes, if He tells you He is going to see it through, and I'm just so encouraged.

SPEAKER_02 39:52

I'm I'm grateful for that. You know, that's all I do right now. Um, you know, with everything that happened, I still have had some things that I've been fighting through, you know, um with my health, you know, and everything. But to God be the glory, I'm healed in Jesus' name. And that's the one thing he told me when I returned back to service, Father's Day, he said, walk in your healing. So I continue to confess it over my life, and I'm like, if I have to go through something for a moment, that's fine, because God knows, right? But when he says walk into your healing, that's what I'm doing. Because his instructions have been, they're not gonna return void. Neither does his word does his word, right? Because healing is a children's bread. So I know that it belongs to me, it's just a process. So I was saying all that to say that, you know, they did do the credit check, right? So I got approved, but it was quite interesting because everything that happened afterwards, when he told me to go get the car on that Monday, the reason being is because something hit my credit that Thursday. Come on. Right. So when he tells you to do something right then, it's necessary for you to do it right then and not wait. Because, you know, and so even with all of that being said, like I said, as far as the the job, like what I do now is because I'm still off, that's why I was saying all that I said as far as my health. So now I move around, you know, as he allows me to and as he instructs me, and I witnessed all day and I share my testimony. And if I sow he tells me to sow seeds with my book, or if he tells me to sow seeds wherever, I do just that because ideally when I go out, I tell people, you know, I'm not a dope dealer, I'm a hope dealer, I bring hope to a hood near you. Amen. I do a lot of, you know, coming to do street ministry. I talk to young girls, I can pull up, I talk to prostitute, a drug dealer, whomever, because I lived in the streets, you know. So I know the vernacular and I know that you have to meet people where they are. So I am willing to be the illustration to show people that God can do what he said he was gonna do in the beginning if you allow him.

SPEAKER_00 41:49

Yes, in Jesus' name.

SPEAKER_02 41:51

Yes, indeed.

SPEAKER_00 41:52

In Jesus' name. Wow, this has just been so good, so full. I you know, we prayed about before the podcast even started that this falls on the right ears because I know somebody is going to be encouraged by your story and encouraged by being obedient to the Lord. Like it can feel so scary, or like you're like, I don't know how this is gonna work out, but you don't have to know how. You just have to put your faith in the Lord. And so I hope that people who've been teetering on just being obedient. And one thing I have to do that you shared is like be obedient right then and there, you know, like the Lord had been telling me to do this podcast for so long and dealing with spiritual welfare, and I was just repented to the Lord, like, forgive me for not moving when you said move, you know. Like I have no clue who in between the time of me lacking, who could have heard something, and like obviously the Lord will use somebody else, but still, like that's just something I definitely needed to hear is to be obedient at the time he tells you because that him getting your credit check on Monday before it hit Thursday, he said, I got you, and do it what I say when I say it. And so that's just super powerful. And just to wrap up, let us know how we can follow you and how we can um sew into you and get your book.

SPEAKER_02 43:17

Well, I appreciate it. Um, I am on several platforms. Um, I'm on TikTok as authentically re um and then I'm on Instagram as Deresha P and on Facebook, I'm Deresha McCarver Prophet. Um my book is on Amazon, and it it is on Amazon and it's available via Kindle as well.

SPEAKER_00 43:39

But this is how it looks. Wow, through the pay to the promise. Oh, I love it. And I'll send you a link and I'll put it in the show notes so you know people guys can immediately just go purchase that book. Let's start the club, and even if you don't buy for yourself, buy for somebody else who just may need it. But Darisha, I'm Super grateful uh to have you. I'm super grateful that you joined and that you share your testimony and story with me. And again, like I'm just sending you so much um blessings and love.

SPEAKER_02 44:12

And I appreciate that. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 44:15

Thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_02 44:17

I did want to add that I I do speak as well. So um I didn't say that in the beginning, so I apologize. But I will come, you know, wherever someone needs me to because I just believe in the power of the testimony, right? And that's what the Bible says. People become transformed by the words of our testimony. So it's necessary. So I do speak to young women and girls, and actually whomever. So if you need anyone, or if you have a girls' group going on or a function and you need me to speak, you can reach out to me on any of my platforms as well.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

Thank you very much. You are welcome. Likewise. And may the Lord just continue to shine his face upon you. You know that goodness is following you all the days of your life, and um, just peace be with you. I'm so super grateful, sister. Um, and uh, we'll catch up again soon.

SPEAKER_02 45:08

Yes. Well, thank you so much again for having me. And I just speak nothing but blessings your way as well for being obedient. So to God be all the glory. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_00 45:19

Bye bye.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

See you later.