February 22 - Laly Zambrana

I can remember when I was a child maybe 4 years old, my parents taking us every Sunday to church. Even back then I loved to worship. I would sing to God as loud as I could. Even then I knew I loved God. I loved the “stories “ I was taught and the big Bible my Mama had with the most stunning colored pictures of angels and people and there was Jesus.

Inside the pages were dried flowers that my momma kept. Some carnations some roses. They were special to her I knew that because she made sure I was quite careful when I turned those pages. That book was to be looked at but not touched. Sad to say not even read. This book always fascinated me. It drew me in and I always wanted to look at it. I didn’t know then, God was calling me.

On my wall I had this picture which I know many of us had. The Angel watching over the two children on a broken bridge. I believed that I had that Angel watching over me. I believed it so that even at the age of 13, I took the archangel Gabrielle’s name as my confirmation name. I didn’t know it then, God was calling me.

Attending Catholic School all the way through High School, I learned what I was taught. Nothing more nothing less. My parents being devout Catholics made sure we went to church every Sunday and we did our sacraments. I never felt pressured; I loved going, I felt so close to God. God was calling me.

My First Communion at age 8 was so special for me, I truly believed I was marrying God. I was thrilled. I began thinking I wanted to be a nun just like my teachers. I felt God was calling me.

As a young adult I continued in my faith. I prayed to God, went to church. I loved Him. My belief was important to me. I always felt God was always near me. I knew he was, because He protected me.

When I started to date my husband Danny, he was a backslidden Christian. My Danny had given me one of his bibles and I began reading and the words just filled my heart. Truths were jumping off the pages and I began to fall in love with the LORD. He no longer was someone they told me about. Or a picture in an old family Bible. He was someone I could touch. He was someone I could personally know. The word came alive and I was beginning to grow in wisdom and understanding of His word.

One day a commercial came on for a booklet called Power for Living. I ordered it and in no time it came. It was a little booklet that had the Gospel of John and in the back was the sinner's prayer. I read that little booklet and when I came to that prayer, I repeated it over and over. Expecting something maybe a flash of lightening or something. I know naive. And to my disappointment nothing happened. I began to cry.

You see being raised Catholic and hearing all those stories of how the Virgin Mary appeared to this one and that one, I thought for sure something amazing was going to happen. I quickly called Danny crying saying, “God didn’t want me”. I explained how I prayed the prayer of salvation but nothing happened. I didn’t see anything. He thought it was quite funny and told me that those kinds of things really don’t happen.

My thirst and hunger for the Lord and His word just engulfed my life. I had become a new creation in Christ; it was no longer me, it was Him. HE DID CALL ME AND I HEARD HIM.

We started going to a massive church that was a “name it and claim it church”. Maybe a month or two of going I knew in my spirit this was not right. We bounced from church to church trying to find a home where we and the kids would be fed. In spring of 1993 we found our home, Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, and have been there ever since.

Many years ago I made a list of the things that have happened in my life and some Im still dealing with today. When I was 10 years old, I was molested by a homeless man. At age 15, I was raped by two men. I’ve battled mental illness, depression, panic attacks, Lupus, RA, intestinal issues. I’ve have had 13 surgeries. I know what it’s like to see a parent die a long terrible death with cancer. Or a brother from Aids. And even the death of a week-old grandchild. We had lost our home and have been through financial drought many times. BUT In all these, The Lord my God was with me. He was protecting me, preserving me, providing for me. He has never once left my side in any of these trials and valleys. He has lifted me up and carried me. He cleansed me and gave me a new name and now calls me His daughter.

In all this I can honestly say like Paul, “none of these things moved me”. I can not, nor will I budge from my place with the Lord. He has been so good to me. I am beyond blessed. He has restored what the locusts have eaten and given me beauty for ashes. My cup overflows for there IS JOY in the Lord! The Lord, He was preserving me, protecting me, providing for me. His hand had been on my life and yes He had been calling me.

I am so grateful to my parents who taught me there is a God and that I am to worship and honor Him. He gave me my husband Danny that showed me the word of God and I got to taste and see the Lord is so so good. I’ve been blessed with 6 kids that we call yours, mine, ours and theirs. There is overflowing love and joy with 16 grandkids who call me Gully.

And above all… I am His and He is mine. He calls me daughter and He is my Abba. And I will worship Him as loud as I can.

May these chapters of my life be used for His Glory and purpose.