Written by: Andrea Price, Director of Education at myLIFEspeaks
Audio version of this story is available, here.
“'How is this possible?” He responded, “Because I am the Great I Am.'"
Throughout our lives, we hear testimonies of how people came to know God or stories of how God got their attention. Sometimes it's through a prayer, a song, a sermon at church, or a near-death experience. My first real encounter with God the Father happened on the hot, dusty day of July 13, 2016, in Neply, Haiti.
The seed of this encounter had been planted in April of 2012 with a dream. During that season in 2012, I felt like my world was crashing down. Because of this dream I had, I woke up with Peace that surpasses all understanding. I wouldn’t encounter and recognize that same Peace again until that day in July of 2016.
I was sitting in the education office on the campus of myLIFEspeaks. I heard an EXTREMELY loud noise. I was a little startled. However, extremely loud noises are common in Haiti so I didn’t think anything of it. Within 30 seconds I heard one of our summer interns sprinting up the steps. I was then alarmed so I met her at the top of the steps. She was bent over and out of breath trying to tell me what the loud noise was. She could barely speak because she was panicked. She muttered “The gate…..a kid…it fell on….” And before she could finish her sentence I was already downstairs.
Our campus is made up of two 2-story buildings that are divided by a courtyard and connected by a very large, iron, blue gate. It measures 15 feet wide by 11 feet high and takes almost all of my might to open it. I like to pretend I still have the same strength and power I did in my collegiate athlete days but let me tell you THIS GATE IS HEAVY.
Let me paint the picture for you of the scene I arrived at. The big blue gate is on its side. There is a large crowd. People are screaming, “She is dead! The little girl is dead!” I found out that the little girl was standing in front of the gate and when it derailed all 15’x11’ came crashing down onto her. There was nothing to take to blow off the fall except her head.
There is a large crowd. People are screaming, “She is dead! The little girl is dead!”
I see my boss Missy on the ground hovering over the little girl. It is one of my dear friend's 7-year-old daughter, Quinn. She is not breathing. They can't find a pulse. Her skin is grey. Missy looks at me and says “Dre YOU NEED TO PRAY RIGHT NOW!”
When I closed my eyes to pray everything around me stopped. There was no noise. There was no crowd. I don’t even remember where I was standing or what I was saying. All I remember is hearing God's voice (for the first time) saying: “Don’t worry, she is already healed!”
“Don’t worry, she is already healed!”
The Peace that surpasses all understanding was back. It poured down my body like water. God knew I was confused so He repeated “I said don’t worry! I've already healed her.”
Immediately after that, I saw my first vision. I saw the crowd that was gathered around her. I saw my boss and first responders around her (just like what I saw when my eyes were open) but this time Jesus was there in a white robe with a purple sash around His waist crouched down beside her. This took my breath away. I gasped and my eyes opened.
This took my breath away. I gasped and my eyes opened.
My first thoughts were - What in the world just happened?! What did I just see? What did I just hear? Why am I not scared? Why do I know deep down in my soul that this little girl is gonna be ok?
When I came back to reality, I was the ONLY person in sight. When I had initially closed my eyes, there was a crowd of at least 25 people and chaos. Here I was standing in the middle of the street with my hands in the air, alone. How long had I been there? NOT A SOUL IN SIGHT. There was silence. I was very perplexed. Until this day, nobody can tell me how long I was standing in the middle of the street.
Here I was standing in the middle of the street with my hands in the air, alone. How long had I been there?
I decided to go inside to see if I could find someone and there she was. The little girl. Little Quinn. Sitting up on the table crying telling everyone to “LEAVE ME ALONE!”
The fact that this girl was even breathing was without a doubt a modern-day miracle. There is absolutely NOTHING else that can explain it. I asked God “How is this possible?” and He again responded, “Because I am the Great I Am.”
“How is this possible?” and He again responded, “Because I am the Great I Am.”
Not a day goes by that I don’t look at that gate and hear those words “I am the Great I AM.’ Not a day goes by that I don’t marvel in awe of why and how God spoke to me that day. How He really does have grace for us all. He really does know us. He really does redeem our past and He really does have a specific purpose for ALL of us.
My life has NEVER been the same. You can't go into the presence of God and come out the same.
***For those of you wondering, Quinn and her family ended up flying out of Haiti that day and went to the hospital in Miami, Florida that day only to find that her CAT scan and X-rays came back 100% CLEAN. MIRACULOUS.
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