God is present even when I’m doubting my circumstances

Experiencing God Helped Me See Him in Every Circumstance

After two years of being isolated due to the COVID Pandemic and unable to fellowship, worship, and praise God in church, I was yearning for group fellowship. Still, I am hesitant to go personally back to church due to the aftermath of the pandemic.

I learned about Experiencing God group because I had taken my son to see Linda Darin several years ago for Holistic Therapy Services in her New York City office when he was going through a crisis. She opened a healing pathway for him to remove negative energy from his body, and I was on her email list. I remembered my son’s first session with Linda. While waiting for him to finish his session, I suddenly heard one of my favorite Gospel songs playing, “God Break Every Chain.” I started to cry because, deep down, I knew he was fighting something sinister, and I needed God to intervene. After the session, Linda gave me a host of informative information for my son about bible verses, clearing his chakras, a list of healthy foods to eat, and positive mental books to read. I knew I had found the right therapist – a woman of God!

In mid-2021, I relocated from New York to North Carolina. I had to realign my whole life from adapting to an unfamiliar environment, giving my dog away, and finding a new job and friends. I was in a constant state of extreme anxiety and depression; I was nostalgic and just wanted my old life back. I had prayed to God before my family, and I moved and was confident that this was His plan for us.

One day I received an email titled Experiencing God Gathering from Linda Darin – curious to see what written content awaited me to read; I opened the email hastily. It read, “All are welcome to join in an Experiencing God Gathering by Henry and Richard Blackaby Claude King each Saturday at 7:30 am.” I said, “Wow, what a coincidence, this is what I was looking for.”

I knew I needed to join this group to connect to a Godly source. But it took me a couple of weeks to participate because I am not a morning person. Getting up early, especially on a Saturday morning, was challenging, and I kept missing the time to join the gathering. I told myself, “If I can get up early to do things I want to do or have to do, then I can get up to attend the Experiencing God group; I can get up for this meeting.” Now I look forward to getting up early to fellowship and learning about experiencing God daily and how He is the source of everything we need.

Before I attended the meeting on Zoom, I thought it would be a large group and I would be an idle attendee just listening to bible verses and reading from Experiencing God books. Linda was advising on how to get to know and experience God. To my surprise, on my first day of attendance to the group, it was the opposite; Linda introduced herself, welcomed me to the small group (which felt so personal), and involved me throughout the meeting. The Zoom group atmosphere was welcoming, spiritually positive, engaging, diverse, friendly, and nonjudgmental. In my opinion, the benefits of a smaller group create connectivity and provide necessary encouragement and accountability – something I need because I realize I am a procrastinator and need motivation. I anticipate meeting with the group each week to learn how God is present in every circumstance. You see, when times get hard, instead of focusing on God and having faith, I’m used to concentrating on my circumstances and forgetting all the previous blessings God gave my family and me.

I had mistakenly bought the Experiencing God workbook instead of the book. However, Linda simultaneously uses both books but recommends having the book and a bible. Some Saturdays are unpredictable; we did not use text or Bible. On these occasions, The Holy Spirit would guide Linda on a topic or situation that needed to be discussed or encourage one of the group members. Occasionally, another group member or I would be transparent about the problem that was bothering us, and each member would provide encouraging words and advice.

Before I joined the Experiencing God group, I already had a relationship with God and was baptized. I went to a non-denominational church, prayed, read my bible app most of the time, and considered myself saved. After joining the group, I realized I lacked faith and doubted God’s plans for my family, especially since I was in a new environment and had to find a new job, home, and church. The doubt and fear locked my soul in bondage and captivity, questioning God’s direction to move. As I began to remove this negative energy from my mind, I realized that God asked me to move, and I followed His request.

By being in the Experiencing God group, Linda brought to our attention that God is paving the way in each one of our lives, and we all have spiritual markers and signs from our past that God has put in our lives to reach the plans He has for us (our destiny). And with repentance, forgiveness, and humbleness, we can come to His throne and experience His love, mercy, and grace that surpass all understanding. We can share and hear from Him every day.

Now living in North Carolina, I find that by spending time in nature, observing the stillness and quietness, I hear His gentle voice and experience His love surrounding me. I learned in the Experiencing God group that what prevented me in the past from hearing His voice was doubt, lack of faith, and unforgiven sin. I was leaning on my current circumstances and not on GOD. I am more aware of what prevents me from hearing God and choose to repent and move in another direction before it takes me off track.

As believers in Christ, we are to encourage and help one another. Being connected to the vine through the Experiencing God group, I have received God’s blessing. Linda and group members have interceded in prayer on my behalf. As a result, I found a job after months of searching. Linda cleared my chakras in energy healing online sessions for my body to be in alignment, allowing my mind more clarity through this time of transition. Linda has been a blessing in all our lives. She gives God all the praise and the glory for her work through Him.

I’m excited to continue this group and meet again on October 22nd, 2022!