This Too Shall Pass by Rev. Veronica Brown

Today’s Pearls of Promise guest blogger is Reverend Veronica Davidson Brown. Reverend Brown, an expert encourager, has helped many in discovering or reigniting their passion, purpose and plan in their lives. She has been engaged in ministry for over thirty-five years. She holds certifications in Grief/Bereavement, Conflict Resolution, and Group Facilitation. Pastor Brown is a fully ordained clergy in the United Methodist Church of the North Texas Conference. She received her Master Degree in Theology from Texas Christian University Brite Divinity in Ft. Worth, Texas, a Bachelor Degree in English /Psychology from Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. She has completed graduate hours in counseling. 

Rev. Brown is also the Founder and CEO of a ministry called “V B Genesis 2: Allowing God to do a New Thing.” She has created and presented a powerful summit entitled “It’s Time to Be Authentically You” where attendees discover their passion, purpose and plan for their lives. Through her ministry she ministers to young girls, women and assists families in reconnecting into healing and wholeness through counseling using various behavior modification tools, meditation and scripture.  

Reverend Brown is a skilled professional who thinks outside the box in areas such as: Discovering your Passion, Purpose and Plan, Spiritual coaching, workshops and trainings. She has years of experience working with Women’s Groups, Singles Ministry, Grief Recovery, Bereavement counseling / groups, Pre-marital and marital counseling /workshops, divorce recovery, Safe Sanctuary, Sunday school, Christian Education Volunteer trainings for adults, youth and children workers.

Her life is a living testimony of her ministry. She accepted Christ at the age of twelve and answered her official call to ministry at age thirty-two. Pastor Brown is appointed to ministry beyond the local church in such capacities as: serves as an Assistant Chaplain at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Facilitator with Texas Workforce Solutions, Mary Kay Consultant, an Adjunct Professor teaching English as a Second Language at Collin College and touches the lives of many women and young girls through counseling, teachings and workshops.

One of her favorite Scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Have you ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? Ever felt so shameful, lonely, sad, and depressed with the direction life was taking you, that you became angry with God or were unable to pray? Today as I was writing this message, I reflected upon a major turning point in my life that took me there – Divorce! As I journeyed down that road all I could say was, “This too shall pass,” as my soul cried out to God.

Day after day, shame, pain and depression were my companions. Prescription drugs warning me on the label “drug may cause suicide” seemed to be my relief. The now silence of living alone for the first time in 29 years did not make it any better; in fact, it took my emotions to another depressing level. I held many “pity parties,” which I began to accept as my reality. As a pastor, I counseled many couples, and saw how God worked in their relationships and restored them, but mine was not restored. How could a pastor’s marriage not work when God gave others special blessings?

Yes, I was angry with God. I felt shame and failure in my relationship, as well as a failure in the eyes of God. I felt like I let my children down as well. Even more painful was the reality that a lot of the pressure came from those who should have been more caring – folks in the church. I knew that God loved me, but I did not feel it.

One Sunday morning, during my preparation time, I became sick and tired of being sick and tired, and cried out to the same God I had been angry towards, asking Him to please take this bitter cup from me. “I don’t want to stay in the state that I am in – I choose to live and not die,” I told God. I then opened my Bible to 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18. It said:

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

This scripture reminded me that This too shall pass, Veronica.

No matter what you are going through, God has already stepped out ahead of you and is making the pathway clear. Just trust Him to do what He says He will do. Remember that you walk by faith and not by sight.

God also reminded me that he created me to be a servant leader, and as I encouraged others, He would in turn encourage me. He was faithful to do that.

God has restored my ministry, my self and God esteem, and my relationship with others. He used my pain for His praise, my tests to build my testimony. A testimony that, to this day, I share with many others to encourage them that God is not a God who lies. He holds true to His promises. Let me encourage you by saying our troubles don’t last forever, and that these troubles and situations we face will actually help to produce a glory that vastly outweighs anything.

No matter what you are going through “This too shall pass.”