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ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
“LEARNING TO TRUST IN GOD”
by: Luella Redfern
We dream of the impossible dream be- cause God designed each of us to live a life that is impossible to live without him. The Bible gives us an outline of instructions for how to live a perfected life, teaching us to trust in God. Sometimes life places us in what appears to be impossible circumstances which brings us to realize our need for God’s resurrection power. Life forces us to endure far beyond our human ability to bring us to believe in our resurrected Lord. Even the apostles that walked with Jesus went through extreme measures before humbly depending upon His Word. It’s not always easy to sur-
she would be successful at anything. Spring break did not include sleeping late or enjoying the swaying palm trees on a sandy beach with glorious weather. It was time for spring-clean- ing, which was a very serious tradition in her home. As soon as winter was over and it was warm enough to open the windows, the “Big Cleaning” began. Room by room everything was pulled from the house. The floors were scrubbed and the windows and walls were washed. There wasn’t a washer and dryer, so clothes, linens and curtains were washed at the laundromat and hung on the clothesline to dry. Her maternal grandparents lived on
“Sometimes life places us in what appears to be impossible circumstances which brings us to realize our need for God’s resurrection power.”
render to God’s plan in order to achieve our impossible dreams. God has also created us to fulfill a specific role in this world. There is no one else who can achieve completely what God has purposely created you to do.
Thelma graduated From Dillon High School in 1980. As many African Americans from the rural south, she did not attend college im- mediately after graduation because our fam- ily could not afford the cost. Therefore it was imperative that Thelma get a job. Growing up in Dillon, South Carolina, Thelma was no stranger to hard work. She and her six sibling learned to work at a very young age. Her parents instilled in her a strong work ethic. She was taught to “take the Lord with you everywhere you go” and with a strong spiritual faith, determination and hard work
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a farm, so summers were filled with pick- ing cucumbers, harvesting tobacco, feeding chickens and hogs. It was a simple life but a good life.
Seeking opportunity, Thelma moved to Co- lumbia S.C. in July of 1984. Later that year, through The Greater Columbia Community Relations Council, the Law Offices of Brown and Stanley hired her as a secretary. She was more than a little apprehensive about be- ing able to meet the requirements of her job, however, she never doubted her abilities. Af- ter twenty-five years of working for Attorney H. Ronald Stanley, on November 17, 2014, Thelma was admitted into the South Caro- lina Bar in a swearing-in ceremony before the South Carolina Supreme Court.
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May 2015