TGIN Stops By the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls — My Testimony

TGIN Stops By the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls — My Testimony

tgin + news
June 25, 2014
Ashley

Today, God sent me an angel.

When I met our driver downstairs this morning, my only plan for the day was to go to the Cradle of Humankind and to see the artifacts of Mrs. Ples and Little Foot. The only other stop I intended to make was to drop off one Thank God I’m Natural book and t-shirt to the woman who had arranged for my accommodations in Johannesburg.

As fate would have it, just as we were pulling out of the hotel driveway, I remembered that I had forgotten the woman’s shirt. When I returned to the room, I was so frustrated looking for her size (since we were already running late) that I just grabbed 20 shirts and pretty much all of the books we bought to South Africa, raced back downstairs, and threw everything in the trunk of the car.

About forty-five minutes into our drive, my driver asked me casually if I wanted to go to Oprah’s School. I was in complete and total shock, because the last time I was in South Africa, I was told the school was under very tight security and that they do not accept on site gifts or visitors. What makes the story even stranger, is that I don’t even know how the school/Oprah came up, and I never had any intention of asking anyone to take me there while on this trip. It was also by chance that we even traveled with this driver, who had “connections” to the school and who I was meeting for the very first time. Finally, and I know you probably won’t believe this, but we were originally scheduled to leave for Cape Town today, but due to a mishap in our reservation, we are actually leaving first thing tomorrow morning.

Although we did not get a chance to go on the school grounds (confidentiality is huge, and they had absolutely no idea who I was), my driver was able to make arrangements for us to leave gifts for the headmistress and several other individuals at the school.

I don’t know what if anything will become of the items we left, or if it will ever make it to the ladies in charge, all I know is that God is in control of my lifeand TGIN, and this is my testimony.

When I started writing Thank God I’m Natural nearly five years ago, I never knew or understand the meaning of the project, how it would evolve, or how many lives it would touch. As many of you know, my low self-esteem about my hair nearly caused me to get fired from my first job out of Harvard law school and was the circumstance that provided me with the catalyst for writing this book. Besides my mother dying, it was one of the lowest points ever in my life. At the time, I couldn’t make sense of how something so terrible could be happening to me professionally, when I was blessed with two degrees from Harvard. The one bible verse that got me through this rough spot, and that I still rely on for strength today, is Proverbs 3:5, which reads trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Back then, I didn’t realize it, but God had a plan for me.

So here’s my message to you . . . If you’re struggling in your life to make ends meets, going through a divorce or a rough marriage, dealing with depression, hoping to start your own business, know that God is good and all things happen according to his timing. Finally, you never know who will be your angel. Mine was a tour guide/chauffeur, so just be careful how you treat people. If you learn anything from reading this, it is that everyone should be treated with respect and kindness.

Sorry to get all religious on you all, but I just had to share. This is my testimony.

Stay natural and blessed,

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