A year older. A year wiser. A year more grateful to say the least.
On April 7th, I celebrated my 25th birthday by going on a mini vacation to Southeast Florida. I visited one of my best friends and like girls, we planned everything we could to do. Being the blogger I am, I decided to pack all my essentials, including money to shop and my vlogging camera to get the fun footage so I could relive every single moment!
My trip began with leaving Tulsa at 6am and arriving in Florida around 1pm. I got picked up by Dawn, my girl for life, and she took me to a local burger and brewery joint called KUSH. I don’t drink, but I sure do eat and those burgers were DELISH. Mine included guava and dude, I have never tasted a burger that great. After lunch, we drove home and started to get ready for my birthday dinner.
My birthday dinner took place in Brickell at the Sugar East Miami restaurant and it was AMAZING. We got to go to the rooftop and take gorgeous photos, I ordered a delicious steak, and I spent a great amount of time with lovely people.
On Saturday, Dawn and I needed to go to Target so I could purchase a swimsuit since mine did not arrive on time back home. Once we packed for the beach, we cruised around Ft. Lauderdale and encountered Nelly performing E.I. just for me! Okay okay, not really, but it felt like it. HAHAH. Eventually we got to the beach and spent quality time relaxing with some of my college friends. I also got some fun pictures there and let me just say, I lowkey am proud of my friend for capturing some dope shots. Shout out to Yves!
By the evening, it was too late to drive all the way back home to change, so instead we grabbed a quick bite and headed to Biscayne Drive (cues Future song) where Dawn’s friend lives. We got to get ready at the beautiful apartment with a city view that was breathtaking and soon hit the town for some food/music.
And then Sunday came.
It was Palm Sunday, so I was excited to go to church. It had been over a year since I visited Vous but I was thrilled to be back. The sermon was really good (P. Rich talked about being the light in the world) and after church, we decided to take some pictures in Wynwood. Dawn’s homeboy worked at a local coffeeshop, so we decided to go and just take pictures around that area. Being the person that I am, I decided to get some coffee (surprise surprise) and then changed into my second outfit of the day.
As we are going outside and back to Dawn’s car, we notice two guys in motorcycles around the coffeeshop. I surely thought they were customers, so I looked and smiled, and then paid them no further attention.
I grabbed my DSLR camera, began to test shoot Luke (Dawn’s friend), and then handed it to him so he could start shooting us. While Dawn and Luke went across the street, I put my purse and camera bag in the trunk. I cross the street to make sure the right lens is on the camera and then realize that the trunk was still left open.
Dawn immediately runs across the street to close it and we finally began to shoot our pictures. About an hour later, we get hungry and try to go eat at a spot a few blocks away. I step out the car and remembered I put my purse in the trunk, so I kindly ask Dawn to pop the trunk open.
She opens it and I do not see my belongings.
We urgently rush back to the coffeeshop, I frantically ask the manager if he had seen a purse and he nonchalantly says no.
I run back to the car, tear up her trunk, and realize my purse and camera bag had been stolen.
I froze.
I began to pray in the spirit. I called my bank, cancelled my cards, checked the previous transactions, and unbelievably heard the times these men on motorcycles attempted to violate my account. I felt so numb. Abused. Angry. Violated.
I filed a police report and then we went back to our friend’s apartment to finally eat and just take a breather. As we began to head home, I played worship music, cried, and began to simply worship with a heart of thankfulness.
Thankful for what?! you may ask.
Welp. Where do I begin. Honestly, I have not felt that much disgust at specific human beings in a while. The fact that I genuinely smiled at their faces and they took a part of who I was is so evil. I am still praying about how I see these men. I don’t know why they did it. I don’t know why this happened. What I do know is that God is sovereign. The entire time I wanted to fight back and just go off, but I couldn’t. I had a supernatural peace in the situation of loss. And I am beyond thankful for that itself. To add to the list, I am thankful:
He is my protector. I could have easily been snatched myself.
He is my comforter. In the midst of crying, all I kept hearing is I love you.
He is my provider. Even in this situation of loss, I know that He will not fail me with what I need in my life.
I am mostly thankful for now realizing that I cannot trust in materialistic things. As hard as it is to have had two men take advantage of me, I know that God is for me. And that He alone is enough. It sucks to have all my personal information at someone else’s fingertips, including videos of my life because they took my camera and promise journal where I wrote down things God whispered in my heart. It hurts to think about it, but I am praying that their hearts turn around for Jesus as my life is a testimony of His goodness and grace right in their hands.
You guys know I am very real with my life and best believe that on Monday I did a lot of reflecting. On my life. On what truly matters. The scripture about storing riches in Heaven and not on earth where thieves might steal them (Matt. 6:20) has never been so real to me than now. I plan on studying what “heavenly riches” looks like because obviously my perspective was a little skewed. Or maybe a lot.
Regardless, I want to say thank you for the birthday wishes, the comments, the prayers, and the memories every single one of you has shared with me. I love you with the love of Christ and pray you continue to have faith in Him. Even when the enemy throws arrows, stand firm and fight with with His word. It will N E V E R return void.
I had a lot of things coming up for you guys, like my spring lookbook, my birthday vlog and pictures, and among other videos, but clearly, I do not have the footage anymore. Both of my memory cards where taken. I do apologize but I did not see this coming.
I do ask that you guys pray for me as I am still trying to get all things replaced, like credit cards, ID, a purse, a wallet, battery chargers, etc. I know God will guide me through all this and I trust that He is ultimately in control. Among this prayer request, I also ask that you pray for the guys who did this. I don’t know their intentions or life’s circumstances. Yet I know they need God like I need Him myself.
I love you all. Talk to you soon!
#LiveLimitless || Tima G. ❤
