When I Was A Child __

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I can't pretend that everything has been smooth sailing in my life, but I can say that the Lord has brought me a long ways! It all started on this side when I was born in the cold month of February to John Cook Jr. and Darlene Cook. They agreed to marry at a very young age and so the family began. My Paw was at the tender age of 16 years old and my mom at 17 came together and said "I do." Soon after, they followed to have two little girls and then me who was that...mistake! I use the word mistake lightly because they indeed wanted another child but was really hoping for a little boy this time. During the doctor visits before I was born the nurse would assure my mother that I was indeed a little girl. My dad on the other end kept holding on to that faith like a mustard seed that I would be his little champion! (lol) He was so determined that I was a boy until he would hear nothing else. All of the care physicians knew Mr. John, now formally known as Pastor Cook, was still hoping for a little boy against all odds! The haunting memory has lasted even up until this very day what the doctor did to my hope mixed with faith daddy that I would be that weight lifting, sports car driving surprise! After the doctor delivered me he wiped me off and laid me face down on a table. He then said to my hope

filled daddy,

"So you wanted a boy?"

"YES," my dad said!

"Well you got him!" The doctor said.

My dad raced over to the table and turned

me over. "HEY, THIS APPLE IS MISSING

A STEM," my dad said. The doctor thought it was pretty funny but I'm sure my dad was picturing HIM being face down on the table from a knock out!!!

From then until now mom and dad always

told me that I was always determined to do what I needed to do. I was the first to make my way down the stairs by myself from under the age of one. They said I would always come down backwards but I would make my way down without falling! At the age of 4 I remember almost getting hit by an automobile in on coming traffic because I had snatched away from my dad's hand wanting to go with my mom who had already crossed the street! The Lord was there once again while I was a child speaking and acting like a child.

Without giving my whole life story I enjoyed my childhood very much so but I still had that part of me that was serious and to the point.

At the age of seven I remember taking on this little friend who would get picked at an awful lot. Her family went to the church we went to and did not have much so she wasn't dressed the best and things were not easy for her at all. I remember going to her little class to solve a problem after days of her coming on the bus crying about this bully always picking on her. I made it up in my mind that I would go to her class early the next day and have a chat with the little guy. (lol) I just so happen to catch him in the classroom by himself and I told him "If she comes on the bus crying again that I was going to come back and find him" He nodded his little head yes..(lol) No more problems at all! I wasn't just like this with her but even my sisters. When they would get bullied on the bus by guys and gals older than them I found myself standing up to these that could pick me up by my ponytails and sling me across the bus!(lol) Yet and still they straightened up for some reason. My sisters gave me the terrible nickname of "The Body Guard!" I hated it! I would think to myself... shouldn't they be taking up for me instead? I AM THE LITTLE SISTER YA KNOW- but that's not the way the Lord had it. We grew up in holiness and so we had to wear skirts every day to school.

As a child I don't ever really remember getting picked on much. When I asked one of my friends why they thought that was, they said it was because I looked mean. Fancy that...(lol) I mean they would say small things about my skirt wearing but nothing would get out of hand. That is until I was introduced to 7th grade and I got a RUDE AWAKENING from a guy named Glenn Griggsby! We had just moved to a new school, I began to make friends, and out of the crowd came Glenn. In all my days I will NEVER forget Glenn! He was the one who help me discover that I had no knee caps! While it is funny now that I think back on it, it was really embarrassing sitting in a class room full of peers while the class is quiet and to hear him say "them caps baby, them caps!" I could have just died as the class did roar with laughter and our teacher would say, "quiet I said", just to hear a voice from the back of the class say "you be quiet- fish mouth Johnson!" "WHO SAID THAT," he would say "TELL ME WHO SAID THAT RIGHT NOW" The guy was getting attacked as much as I was so what help could he have been to me? I actually felt sorry for him. He retired after our 7th grade year! I was in a culture shock. Our entire 7th grade class was known as the worst to come through the school! Even though I had to wear skirts everyday, it was mandatory that we had to dress out for P.E. (PHYSICAL EDUCATON) So this is where Glenn discovered from way across the gym and decided to start calling me "caps baby." When standing it does look like I have straight leg bc the knee caps are so slick. Only when bending can they be seen. I paid no attention to this until Glenn G! WHAT HORROR OF HEARING ACROSS THE GYM FROM THE BOYS SECTION "THEM CAPS BABY THEM CAPS"(LOL) 🤦‍♀️Time went on and around 9th grade I met the guy I would marry later at the age of 18. Things went sour as far as the abuse that started after marriage and I was advised to keep my life instead of dying at the hands of a man. Things went on and I could be days telling you about the life of Melanie, but to spare you the time, I look back at the way I saw things then and the way I see them now!

1st Corinthians 13:11 says "When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

Through all the things I have gone through and still have yet to experience, I know now that everything was for my making! In the past I started out strong and then went through a phase of woe it's me in my twenties but continuing to walk the journey the Lord began to show me that I was not a victim but a victor!! He began to show me that even before I was born He had my life mapped out already! After Him dealing with me I started to see that allowing the enemy to leave me in a "victim's mentality" was allowing him to get glory from my life! How can we ever testify about the goodness of Jesus if we continue to have a victim's mentality? The bible said we are more than conquerors and I claim my inheritance! Many things I did not share because this blog would have been to long, but each and everything I have ever been through helped build me, shape me, make me, and mold me into who I am today! Getting all the nutrients out of our trials gives us muscle for the future. It puts us in a place to be able to help others who may go through something we have overcome through Christ! To see every situation through the eyes of a victor is to have grown and put away childish things. Everything is good and everything is God! How do you see it?