My Journey: The Call. The Rebellion. The Answer

By Lavinne Allicine Theys

Lavinne started reading at the age of four, and her choice of literature was the Bible. At age five, she decided that she was ready for school. She also became drawn to the Lord at a young age, and was captivated by the Almighty's presence whenever she was within the Pentecostal Church walls. 
The book My Journey: The Call. The Rebellion. The Answer details how she heeded the call, how what she believed were unanswered prayers made her rebelled against the Lord and how she ultimately found God's plan for her life through pain, grief and loss. It tells the story of how a young girl sought the Lord, only to lose her way and regain redemption later in life. 
Have you heard the call of God but have not yet heeded to that call? If this is you, then this book will encourage you to pick up your garment and walk into your calling.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lavinne Allicine Theys
• Release date: May 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224953219

Book preview

FOREWORD

By Amelda Meyer

Looking at my daughter and seeing the woman she has become makes me a very proud mother. Lavinne has always been different; from when she was a baby there was something special about her. She was born in the early hours of a Sunday morning; she was breastfed and couldn’t drink from a bottle.

She was only two months old when I had to go back to work. It was very difficult for me to leave my children but I had to work to help my husband provide for our two children. Every day during tea and lunch breaks I’d go home and feed my little one. She had just turned four months old when, while I was feeding her water with a spoon, she chocked and turned blue. She couldn’t breathe and was not moving. I took her and ran down the street into a pastor’s house.

Please help me, my daughter is not breathing, I yelled.

When the pastor’s wife took Lavinne in her arms she started breathing. She stared back at the woman with a smile on her face. I believe she died for a few minutes, but God still had a plan for her life.

She grew up and at the age of four, my daughter started reading. The most amazing part was, she started reading from the Bible. At the Age of five she decided that she was ready for school. She would wait for her father and I to leave for work, dress herself and then tell our helper that we said she should be taken to school.

The helper believed her and obliged. When we returned from work, I received a phone call from the principal telling me that Lavinne had enrolled herself. However, he was unable to accept her because she was too young. Two days later, on a Sunday afternoon, he called me again telling me that he cannot break her little heart, we should get her dressed and send her to school the following day.

It was at that moment that I knew my daughter was something special. She became drawn to the Lord. We attended the Apostolic Church and on our way to church, we would pass a Pentecostal church. My daughter would look at me with glowing eyes and ask if we could go to the church where they played the drums, sang and danced.

One Sunday morning I took her for the very first time. She was completely captivated by the presence of God – the look on her face was pure joy. I knew then and there she was born for a purpose. She loved the Lord from a young age.

I couldn’t take her to the Pentecostal church because my husband was very strict and didn’t believe in visiting other churches. If I knew then what I know now, I would have fought for her to serve where her heart belonged. She has been through so many obstacles, she had to endure heartbreak, illness and loss but we give God the Glory because He gave her beauty from ashes. He molded her into a God-fearing woman, the one He called her to be. She has always been our peace maker, the one to bring the family together. I have learned a lot from my daughter and we continue to support one another. I love you my child, you will always be the light in my life.

INTRODUCTION

My Journey: The Call. The Rebellion. The Answer is a book about how God journeyed with me through life and its hardships. It is about how I have overcome and still kept my faith amidst the storms that came into my life.

I was born on the 26th of March 1989 to my parents Amelda and Errol Meyer. From the time I was an infant the enemy tried to rob me of life. I almost died at four months old while choking on water but God was not done with me. He needed me to do great things so that He may be glorified.

I grew up in the North-West Province and partially in the Gauteng Province. I am a mother of three beautiful girls, Liya, Shiloh and Nathalia, and I am married to a handsome, God-fearing man.

This book was written to tell people about God and His greatness. What I would like is for my readers to take a tour with me through the path that led me from self-destruction to serving God. I hope that it will encourage many to turn back to God and bring healing to broken hearts and broken souls. I hope it will teach a young woman to pray and wait on a godly spouse. I hope it with motivate someone not to be afraid to preach the Gospel and reach out to the lost. I hope that it would awaken leaders who are in slumber, that it would restore relationships with God.

May this book be a blessing to whomever finds it. God be with you, God bless you and know that God loves you.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the Lord Almighty who has been my compass, my protector, and my Savior. Thank you for your unfailing love. I love you.

To my husband who has been there for me, loved me on days I didn’t love myself; thank you for your patience and support. You have been my pillar through the most difficult times. I love you always.

To my children, thank you for bearing with me. It was not easy but you pulled through with me. You gave me the strength to keep going. Know that you are loved, and I hope that you too will be encouraged to reach your goals.

To my parents and siblings, thank you for having me see the work of God in your lives. I thank God for the transformation I have seen and for the love you give. You give me hope to keep going because you have risen above all the obstacles and challenges life has thrown your way. I love and adore you.

To family, friends and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, thank you for your love, support and prayers. Thank you for the footprint you have left in my life and the impact you have made. I appreciate every prayer, message, encouragement and motivation you have sowed in my life. I love and appreciate you.

Sincerely,

Lavinne Allicine Theys

Chapter 1:

The Seed

"For it was you who created my inward parts, You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless, all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began." ~ Psalm 139:13 – 16.

I

was seven years old when my parents got a divorce. So many things changed including our location. We moved in with my grandmother. We were three kids; I was a middle child and the only girl at the time. It was a new environment, new school and new friends. I don’t remember much from the time we were living with my granny, but I do remember the times she sang from her hymn book and how she loved the Lord. She was a strong woman.

My granny was known for taking in strangers who had no place to sleep or food to eat. She looked after infants while their parents went to work and did laundry and ironing for an income because she had so many people, she needed to take care of. While she ironed the clothes, she always recited scripture from the book of Psalms.

Tuesday mornings were my favorite because I could stay home from school, without my mom’s knowledge of course (she immediately found a job when we moved to Johannesburg). It still makes me smile when I think about it. My granny would wake me up with a cup of tea and a slice of bread – fresh from the bakery – the melted butter smelled divine and tasted heavenly. After I enjoyed my little bit of heaven on earth I’d wash up, get dressed and sit between my granny’s legs while she brushed my hair.

My granny would take me by the hand and slowly and firmly explain to me that this was to be kept between her and I. On our way to her friend’s house, I’d ask an awful lot of question and she would patiently reply. Upon arrival we would be greeted with a graceful smile. I often sat closely by my granny’s side and listened to these God-fearing women as they encouraged one another with the word of God. They spoke so boldly about God and His love, protection, and great works. It always captured my attention.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25

They were a small group of women and were consistent in their prayer meetings. I loved the singing, but the praying was the highlight for me; oh, how they prayed fervently. Whenever we left, I’d look at them and see hope on their faces. They were expectant of what God was going to do. They waited for answered prayers and they believed while they waited.

We would then bid them farewell and head home. I would lie awake at night and ponder on every word that was spoken that morning. It brought so much joy to my heart.

Thinking about my granny still brings back the fond memories we shared. She planted a seed in my heart and I will forever be grateful of the footprint she left in my life. She was an amazing woman with qualities I admired. I miss her so much. She was the glue that kept our family together. Some days were extremely difficult and some created beautiful memories.

My mother had suffered so much during her marriage and divorce that raising three children took a toll on her. My father was a police officer. The brutality he had witnessed in life affected him tremendously to a point where he became overly protective. Alcohol was the escape he chose to block out the emotions that consumed him. He couldn’t stand a person who would murder an innocent child, or a grown man who robbed