PapaGod – Little Did She Know

…She’d Face Spiritual Warfare

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8

I was raised in a Baptist church, and my family was in attendance every time the doors were open. When I hit pre-school age, my parents enrolled me in a Christian school, and from age 3 until I completed 9th grade (and transferred to public school), my education – math, science, English, history – revolved around the Bible.

I received Jesus as my savior when I was in first or second grade, and I was baptized in the church a few years later. Both of my parents were heavily involved in church and school activities. In all aspects of life, I was pointed to Jesus daily.

That’s why it never made sense to me that, as a Christian, I felt a disconnection from God most of my life. When people around me talked about hearing from God or being led by God, I couldn’t relate.

I mean, on paper, I checked all the right boxes, but in reality I didn’t experience His presence or His voice like they did. Looking back, I think this was because I somehow missed out on what I now believe is the most important piece of information you should receive after you accept Jesus Christ as your savior: You have to have a personal relationship with God.

Between the disconnect I felt and the church hurt I experienced, it was very easy to grow numb to what I knew I was missing. Yes, I was a Christian, and yes, I loved God, but I loved the things of the world more.

And that’s why Satan left me alone for so long.

Somewhere along the way, I accepted the lie that I wasn’t good enough for God to talk to or lead into ministry and turned to the world for my happiness, and when that happened, I was not considered a threat to Satan’s plans to wreak havoc. By ignoring God, I was one less redemption-cloaked warrior Satan had to worry about.

Even though I couldn’t see Him or hear Him or experience Him, I never stopped believing in God. I had one foot in the world and one foot in “religion” when what I needed was both feet firmly planted in a personal relationship with God. Satan used my ignorance over needing that personal relationship to keep me stagnant. Every time I thought about going to church, the idea of finding one was overridden by the memory of church hurt. So I told myself the lie I hear so many people tell themselves: you don’t have to go to church to worship God.

There were times when the Holy Spirit broke through that haze I was walking in and reminded me of my roots in Papa God and my need to find a church to attend. Back in 2017, my husband and I actually started attending a church in Columbus, Ohio, that we really liked. It was my first time going to a church where I could feel God’s presence in the room every single Sunday. That’s when my Prodigal Redemption began. That’s when God started bringing beauty from my ashes, bringing my dry bones of faith to life.

So imagine how annoyed I was – and how much Satan enjoyed the show – when my husband and I transferred back to West Virginia for employment in 2018. I was so frustrated. How many years did it take me to walk into a church and find peace? To find God there waiting for me? And then, He plucks us up and moves us.

If you know me, you know my frustrated face.

So there we were, back in West Virginia, and I was missing that church. We visited several, but it just wasn’t the same. That frustration grew and grew, bursting through the seams and allowing space for those old thoughts to come back: “I don’t really have to go to church on Sunday. I can love God from home.”

I don’t remember when we first visited River Ridge Church, but knowing what I know now, I’m sure Satan went on alert the minute we pulled into the parking lot. By fall 2023, I was attending regularly. The more I went, the more I loved everything about it: the worship service, the messages, the sanctuary where I could feel God’s presence.

It was a Sunday in October 2023 that God spoke directly to my heart. That morning in church, one of the staff members announced that the church would have a baptism service in a few weeks, and if anyone was interested in being baptized, they should reach out to Pastor Jay.

Get baptized.

Those were the words that went through me.

It wasn’t an ask.

It wasn’t a suggestion.

It was a commandment from God.

I was skeptical at first because why wouldn’t I be? I had never heard Him speak so clearly to me before. Besides, I had been baptized when I was little. Could you be baptized again?

I don’t know if it was that day or a few days later, but I went out to my God spot on our property to talk to God about this. Just because I was going back to church, it didn’t mean I was doing good enough as a Christian to make a bold, public statement about my faith. What if I failed? When I backslid – because surely I would – all those witnesses would know. And surely they would judge me.

Looking back, I see that as the first arrow shot in that battle of spiritual warfare. The tip was poisoned with the sentiment of “You’re not good enough.”

Thank you, Jesus, that we don’t have to be good enough because we will never be good enough on our own. That’s why Jesus died on the cross – He is the only one good enough, and He stepped in to be good enough for us. But I didn’t recognize that at the time. All I could see were all my past failures as a Christian.

Out at the spot, Papa God repeated His commandment.

Get baptized.

So, I reached out to Pastor Jay and signed up.

And that’s when the real assault began.

Supernatural knives stabbing at my unworthiness, tearing me open to expose the fear of being an imposter. Arrows ripping through the scars on my heart left from church hurt. Swords slashing at my physical health, causing nausea, anxiety and a fear that kept me up at night because what if I backslid again? I could not fail, and the anxiety over avoiding what felt like a certainty was like a poison spreading through me and weakening me, assigning me to certain defeat before I even began.

An AI depiction of the previous paragraph.

The closer I got to the baptism service on November 5, the worse the physical impact got. I pushed it all away as long as I could, but the Sunday before the baptism, I reached my breaking point. I woke up that Sunday morning and was such a physical mess that I couldn’t make myself go to church. I went in my home office and started cleaning, trying to get my mind off of what was happening internally. I found myself sitting in the middle of the floor, my head in my hands, crying and praying. What was wrong with me? Why was this happening?

Spiritual warfare.

The answer came so easily, and it made so much sense, even though I had never experienced anything like that before. Satan did not want me to get baptized.

He did not want me to take that step because he knew better than me what it would lead to. He knew being submerged and raised back up in the baptistry as a public profession of my faith and my choice to follow Jesus would be the first step in a new chapter for me, a chapter centered on trusting God and telling others constantly about what I see God doing every day and how I believe He is doing good even when He’s silent. Especially when He’s silent.

Desperate for help, I met with Pastor Jay after the second service that day to share with him what was going on, and he covered me in prayer. I’m grateful for Pastor Jay’s friendship, but more than that, I’m so grateful he was there that day to counsel me.

That was the day I dug in my heels, determined to be re-baptized no matter. I knew enough to know that if Satan was trying to stop it, it had to happen.

The next Saturday night – the night before the baptism – those physical attacks started again. I randomly threw my back out late in the evening. Then I woke up sick at my stomach and found that I had somehow lost my voice. I had plenty of excuses that morning to skip church and the baptism, but I was not giving in. By the time I made it to church, my stomach and back were both fine. And who needs a voice when you’re making a public declaration of faith through action anyway?

There are zero regrets about any of it. In fact, I’m so grateful for that day and for all the things that led up to it. And I’m grateful to God for waiting for me through all those years to turn back to Him. I’m grateful His grace is sufficient for the times I ignored Him and for the times I made excuses and for the many years I held Him at arms’ length.

My baptism at River Ridge Church on November 5, 2023.

As Pastor Matt was raising me back up out of the water, I remember this sensation I had, though it’s hard to put into words. As I was coming back up out of the water, I felt the water roll back, over and away from me, like the path was clearing. It felt like a rebirth. Like a brand-new start.

Because it was.

In the two years that followed my baptism, I went on my first mission trip to McDowell County, WV, and became a Sunday school volunteer for K-3rd grades and a door greeter, which is my favorite volunteer activity. I also joined the prayer team, which led to becoming a prayer counselor for folks who want to pray after services on Sunday. Being a prayer counselor is definitely one of those things I felt unworthy of and unqualified for, but it’s been an amazing experience.

This year, I’ll be the team lead for that same mission trip to McDowell County, WV. And the biggest news of all is that in January, I accepted a part-time position with the church to help start a new ministry under Family Services.

Me. A church staff member, helping plan and launch a new ministry, when a year ago I specifically remember thinking how awesome it would be to work at the church but that I would never be “good enough.”

Me. Leading a mission trip to Southern West Virginia to serve others and love others and share Jesus.

Me. Volunteering in roles to welcome people who are nervous about going to a new church like I once was and praying with people who feel lost like I once did.

It’s no wonder Satan didn’t want me to get baptized. He knew I would say yes to every opportunity to serve God. He knew I would pursue God with everything I have – there was no reason to worry about failure. Yes, I still struggle with sin every day like everyone else, but I lean into the fact that God’s grace is greater than my sin. He doesn’t call me a failure or turn His back on me when I mess up. In fact, He helps me grow and do better.

Satan knew I was going to come up out of that baptistry with a faith on fire.

The spiritual warfare didn’t end with my baptism. I still have my moments of feeling like an imposter and feeling unworthy. Past memories of church experiences still sneak into my head sometimes and make me doubt people and their intentions. I still hear Satan whisper in my ear that I’m not good enough, reminding me of my inadequacies and trying to sell me on why I don’t belong in leadership roles at the church. He uses busyness to distract me from reading my Bible and spending time in prayer like I should. But Satan isn’t winning this war. God’s mercies are new every day, and every day I try my best to follow Jesus, love others and share the Good News. Besides, we know Who will be victorious in the end. As the song says, “If it’s not good, then it’s not over yet.”

If you’re feeling disconnected from God like I was, I have three pieces of advice for you.

The first is, whether you want to hear it or not, go to church and open your heart to Papa God. You can sit in the back row and be the last one in and the first one out for the service. You don’t have to talk to anyone. Just be there with God and let Him talk to you. Let Him begin His good work of healing in you. I didn’t believe healing from church hurt was possible, and I have experienced it myself. He is the Great Physician, and He can do anything.

The second is to immerse yourself in things that will draw you closer to God and keep your mind on Him.

One of the first things I did was set my car radio to K-Love. I did it out of obligation at first, but now that is my go-to station. I love listening to worship music, but I used to avoid it because it was “boring.” (Have you listened to Tauren Wells or Brandon Lake or Phil Wickham? Nothing boring there!)
I also watched “The Chosen.” If you have not watched that series, get on it right now. I’m serious.
Also, start reading that Bible. When I told God I wanted to be closer to Him, He told me to read my Bible. I snarled my nose because it was not fun to read, and He said, “Do it anyway.” I started at Matthew 1 doing a chapter a day. And you know what? Watching “The Chosen” starting with Season 1 and reading the New Testament really helped the Bible come alive.
Use daily devotion books to get you going with your Bible reading. Lysa TerKeurst is a great auther, and I’ve heard great things about Tara-Leigh Cobble’s Bible Recap program to read the Bible in a year. She has a companion podcast you can listen too along with the readings or, if you’re just getting started, just listen to the podcast.
Find faith-based podcasts (I like “Whoa, That’s Good” and “Bible Recap”), and follow Christian content creators on Facebook and Instagram. Surround yourself with musical and theatrical and creative fingers pointing to God all the time.

The thirdis to look up and look for Him. Expect Him to move and then watch. You’ll see things that happen around you and pieces fit together and crazy good stuff happen – stuff only He can do. When I started looking and trying to connect the dots – guys, it will blow your mind. And it will feed your faith. I used to feel bad that my faith in God answering my prayers was so weak, but I didn’t feel like I deserved it or my needs were as important as others. And would He really do it? Do miracles still really happen today? YES. It took me seeing Him stop every single hurricane from making landfall last year for me to fully know how capable and loving and faithful God is to each and every one of us. (That will make more sense if you read “…She’d See God Move Mountains.”)

Song for This Week

“Take It All Back” by Tauren Wells

“I’m calling the angels down
I’m storming the gates of hell
Tell the devil he don’t own my soul
I’m taking back what the enemy stole”

“Battle Belongs” by Phil Wickham

“When all I see is the battle, You see my victory
When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved
And as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me
There’s nothing to fear now for I am safe with You”

“Get Behind Me” by Emerson Day

“The same power that raised my Savior
Is the power that lives in me
So, if you wanna pick a fight, you better think twice
‘Cause He’s got an angel army”

…ALKS 2680 Vibrance 3 IH Round 1 Side Effects

Blogger’s Note: In December 2025, I was approved to participate in the ALKS 2680 Vibrance-3 clinical trial for Idiopathic Hypersomnia. IH is a rare neurological sleep disorder similar to Narcolepsy that is just now getting the research attention it deserves. If you have IH or you have a loved one with IH, feel free to follow along here and on my Facebook page, Little Did She Know. To learn more about the clinical trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

If you read my last post, “Nearing the Starting Line for ALKS 2680 Vibrance-3,” you already know I traveled to the Cleveland Clinic on December 29th to complete the approval process for my participation in this study by undergoing a polysomnography (PSG) that night and a maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) all day on December 30th. Bright and early on December 31st, I got my first dose of the trial drug.

First, I want to share the listed side effects for Vibrance-3:

Dizziness or feeling of lightheadedness
Frequent urination or urinary incontinence
Difficulties with sleep (difficulties falling asleep or interrupted night sleep)
Hypervigilance (increased awareness or feeling more alert), feeling jittery
Temporary visual changes (such as seeing things blurry or distorted, or increased sensitivity to light)
Headache
Increased blood pressure or heart rate
Euphoric mood, feeling relaxed
Increased saliva
Decreased appetite
Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
Hot flush (feeling hot)
Cold sweats or increased sweating

The frequent/urgent urination side effect was the first one to show up. Within 30 minutes of taking the first dose, I suddenly had to pee – like, right then. About an hour after I took the first dose, I went down to the lobby to meet my Lyft driver to go to the airport and start home. Once downstairs, I felt dizzy and short of breath. As I got in the Lyft ride, the nausea began.

I want to pause here and give a shout out to my Lyft driver, Elijah, who carried the conversation all the way to the airport and helped take my mind off the nausea. More importantly, when we got to the airport, he asked if he could pray for me. It was a heartfelt prayer after the long conversation we had about God and faith, and I will never forget when he prayed, “Dear Heavenly Father, I lift up to You Your beloved Jennifer….” That was a really impactful moment for me. I’ve never thought about myself that way when thinking about my relationship with God, but it’s true. We are all Papa God’s beloved children.

By the time I made it through security at the airport, I was sweating, nauseous, and dizzy, and I had upper arm muscle weakness and hand trembling. I was rueing the day I ever got that Idiopathic Hypersomnia diagnosis. (That rueing part happens every now and then.) I remember putting my shoes back on (because I missed the sign for the TSA Pre-Check line) and thinking, if I had never had that diagnosis, I could have just gone on oblivious and carrying the guilt of thinking I was lazy. At that moment, that felt like a better option than experimental drugs because if you know me, you know I’d rather go through just about anything other than nausea.

When I got to my gate, I added leg tremors to the list. It was like all these physiological responses were stacking up against me. By the time I made it back to Yeager Airport in Charleston, WV, that evening, I had already quit the study in my head three times. Clearly that was an emotional response only because I am still in the study.

Waiting at the gate, pretending I’m fine.

The next day – day two – the nausea and mild dizziness continued, as well as the random hot flashes and sweating. Bruxism – grinding teeth or clenching jaws – was another side effect not expected but in full effect.That was the day I first experienced the weird vision changes. It scared the crap out of me. Suddenly, it was like there was a shadow over my vision. When I closed my eyes, I could see glowing crescent moon shapes. That was the fourth time I told myself I was quitting the study. (Again, clearly I didn’t really quit.) Within about an hour and a half to two hours, my vision was back to normal, and the nausea was subsiding for the day.

The dizziness lasted probably about three days, and the nausea and sweating lasted about five days. The vision thing has happened randomly three times, all on different days. The sudden urge to pee remains, but it doesn’t happen that often and isn’t a big deal. I also noticed leg cramps when waking up a couple of mornings in the first week, as well as dry mouth. The bruxism is ongoing but seems to be mild now.

What I have not experienced from this study is a “euphoric mood, feeling relaxed,” which is listed above as a possible side effect. I’ve actually been pretty irritable for the last two weeks. I think part of that is because of the unexpected and negative impact it has had on my sleep.

That’s rights, friends: the drug that is supposed to help with my excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is causing even more poor quality sleep at night than I already had. (My nighttime sleep issues are attributed to a secondary diagnosis of delayed sleep tendency due to an abnormal circadian rhythm.)

Generally, I now fall asleep at bedtime for about an hour and then wake up, and I’m usually awake for an hour. I also wake up frequently at night, some nights as many times as every hour. Sometimes I wake up and am unable to go back to sleep, so I get up for an hour – or three – then go back to bed. I get up every morning at 7am to take my dose, and I got back to bed at least until 8am. I initially started doing this with the hope I could sleep through some of the side effects, and that seemed to help. I also do this because, well, sleep disorder, sleep inertia and never waking up refreshed. Once I hit the 8am, though, the other really odd impact of this drug comes into play.

Are you ready for this?

With worse sleep at night and no relief yet from sleep inertia or EDS, when I do lie down to take a nap during the day, most of the time I can’t go to sleep. I literally lie there, so close to sleep, and it’s like there’s a cinderblock wall stopping me from going under. It is so frustrating. Naps don’t refresh or fix the problem, but there is a relief in at least falling asleep and giving my body what it wants. Not on Vibrance-3. At least not in weeks 1-3.

I think it’s fair to say the jury is still out on Vibrance-3 for me. And it should be. I’m only at the beginning of Week 3 of the 8-week trial. And we all know it can take 8 weeks, sometimes longer, for certain medications to work. If you’re on an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety med (like me), you’ve heard your doctor say this before.

So, here’s what I’ve observed about me on Vibrance-3:

I still have sleep inertia. Wednesday morning, it might have been a shocking, record-breaking 10 minutes. This morning, it was two hours.

I still get the heavy IH feeling that, in my opinion, is easily confused for depression.

I still have EDS and feel the need to take naps during the day, but not every day. Wednesday was a really good day. Thursday, however, was really bad, and today, was mediocre.

I do find that I am not dying for a nap during the day like I was when I did the washout and was not on anything. But, again, falling asleep for a nap has become the new struggle.

One positive is that I pulled myself together enough last week (week 2) to restart Couch to 5k. I had enough wakefulness (despite yawning and feeling heavy) to go to the track at 4PM for three days in a row to exercise. Usually the draw of sleep is so strong by the afternoon that I’m lucky to get dinner made in the evening before I crash. I was able to break free of that pull and get some fresh air and exercise. (I have not been back this week, unfortunately.)

Given the time commitment of the trial and uncertainty of the drug’s effects, I had planned on taking another break from fostering kittens for a while. When a sick litter of four found their way to my Facebook page, though, I was able to scrounge up the energy to take them in. They were all sick, especially Junie who has calicivirus. They are all recovering now and will go to rescue in a couple of weeks. Honestly, I think I needed the distraction of them as much as they needed me. Sometimes commitment to others is the only thing that gets me up and moving. I hate to let people – or kittens – down.

This is the #WhoCrew: (L-R) Max (back) and Wholihan; Cindy Lou Who; and sick little Junie, who was receiving nebulizer treatments twice a day until her symptoms improved. You can learn more about the #WhoCrew and our foster operation on Facebook under Weasley Meowtain Lodge.

So, what’s next in the trial? In about a week and a half, I go back and repeat the MWT and get my third batch of meds. Starting Monday, I’ll have to wear the actigraphy watch again for seven days, culminating in the MWT, and I’ll have to use the journal app to log my experience during that timeframe. At the end of the eight weeks, I’ll repeat the PSG and MWT as well as the eye exam.

If you’re wondering if I’ve thought about what I’ll do if this medication doesn’t work for me, I have. For a minute or two. And then I turned it over to Papa God and stopped worrying about it. Before I started this trial, I told God to do with it what He will. If He uses it to help me, I’ll be grateful and blessed. If He doesn’t use it to help me but He uses my data to help other IH patients, I’ll still be grateful and blessed. He’s carried me every day of my life, even all those years when I ignored Him. He won’t leave me now. And nothing is wasted with Papa God. Not illness. Not grief. Not heartache. Not frustration. Not even EDS.

Trust me, kid. I’ve got you.

In fact, if I’m being honest, I’m seeing Him open so many doors for me right now. At a time when I feel I’m at my weakest, He’s asking more of me. So, I’m stepping out in faith. I’m accepting the opportunities without thinking about how I’ll be able to deliver. Because Papa God doesn’t call the qualified. He calls us to be obedient, and He makes things happen when we show up. We’re just here to plant seeds. He does the rest. Remember what He did for me in hurricane season? Even the winds and waves obey him. (If you don’t know, check out “She’d See God Move Mountains.”

Besides, I’ve got things to do – like disaster response, cat rescue and volunteering – regardless of whether Vibrance-3 is for me.

Speaking of giving my problems and fears to God and letting Him handle it all, I have a few really good songs for you this week.

“Flowers” by Samantha Ebert

“So I brought it up in a desperate prayer. Lord, why are you keeping me here? Then He said to me, “Child, I’m planting seeds. I’m a good God and I have a good plan. So trust that I’m holding a watering can. And someday you’ll see that flowers grow in the valley.”

“Even If” by Mercy Me

“I know You’re able and I know You can Save through the fire with Your mighty hand, But even if You don’t, My hope is You alone. I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt Would all go away if You’d just say the word, But even if You don’t, My hope is You alone.”

“Firm Foundation” by Cody Carnes

“Christ is my firm foundation, The rock on which I stand When everything around me is shaken. I’ve never been more glad That I put my faith in Jesus, ‘Cause He’s never let me down. He’s faithful through generations. Oh, so why would He fail now? He won’t.”

Did you know I have a Spotify list for the songs I mention in my blog posts?

Look for Little Did She Know on Spotify and follow along!

…She’d See God Move Mountains

This past summer, I was on the verge of quitting my job. Like, walking-away-without-a-plan quitting. My internal gas tank was completely empty.

Let me pause here to say that I really do like my job. I love that God uses the American Red Cross as a medium through which I can love and serve like Jesus. (Want to learn more about what I do in Disaster at the American Red Cross? Check out “Humberto, Imelda and Pre-Landfall Disaster Response.”)

But occasionally I go through one of these “episodes.” I don’t know what else to call them, but I know they are born out of burnout, compassion fatigue, extreme emotional exhaustion and exacerbated chronic illness symptoms. Every time I have experienced one of these episodes, I have prayed and asked God to open a door and move me to another job. A less stressful job. A job more compatible with my chronic illness symptoms. And every time, He has said the same thing.

Stay.

I know He hears my prayers when I have no words, so He has definitely heard every sigh when that’s the answer He gives. Every time I plead my case to Him, the end result is the same: I submit and say, “If this is where You want me to be, I’ll stay as long as You want me here.”

The episode I had this past summer was different. It felt bigger than the others, more desperate. Looking back, I think this episode was also compounded by #spiritualwarfare because what happened when I obeyed and stayed instead of jumping ship has had a huge impact on my faith.

It started when we stood up a disaster relief operation in mid-February for flooding in Southern West Virginia. Not only are operations stressful and demanding, but the impact of knowing others – in this case, West Virginians – were affected, is heartbreaking.

February 2025 flooding in Welch, WV. Photo and story can be found on https://www.wvnews.com/.

I had been to the town of Welch, WV, in June 2024 on a mission trip to assist in cleaning up buildings on the main street that had been damaged from a previous round of flooding. The 2025 flood was a personal hurt for me because I had met some of the people who had moved to Welch and put everything they had into those buildings and starting new businesses and faith-based operations to help the rural community.

It was during the Southern West Virginia disaster operation that my dad was hospitalized for pneumonia and my cat, Miles, had a life-threatening health episode. Did I mention stress exacerbates #IdiopathicHypersomnia symptoms?

On Father’s Day, flash flooding in both Wheeling (Ohio County) and Fairmont (Marion County), WV, led us to stand up a second disaster operation. In Wheeling there were fatalities, adding a different level of complexity to the urgency of providing help on the ground.

Aftermath of the flash flooding in Ohio County, WV, on Father’s Day 2025 that took the lives of 7. Photo and story can be found at https://wvmetronews.com.

Then, on July 4, I woke up to news of the Texas flash flooding that took at least 135 lives, including children attending Camp Mystic.

Through my tears, I had that same conversation with God again, and again I got the same answer.

Stay.

What I did next is what I think Papa God was waiting for me to do all along. I said, “Okay, but I need your help. This job is too hard. My IH is too hard. I can’t do it by myself.”

“By myself.” That was part of the problem. I was trying to do this job God wanted me to do without Him. I had asked God for this job, but I had never invited Him into it. I don’t think when He put me in this job He intended for me to carry it all on my own because He knew it would be a lot. And as soon as those words were out of my mouth – “I need your help” – I now know He immediately rolled up His sleeves and got to work.

I didn’t realize until just a couple of weeks ago what God had been working on for me between July and November. There are three big things in particular – mountains He moved – that stick out to me when I think about how He heard me and He responded. First, I realized He had grown the size of my volunteer team. This is no easy feat. There is a shortage of volunteers, and the work we do on my team can be very complex. He has given me smart, willing, compassionate volunteers to help me carry the load every day, which is helpful to me in my chronic illness and a benefit to the region – and nation – when we need to respond to disaster.

Second, He provided me with the only medication that has had any kind of impact on my Idiopathic Hypersomnia. I needed that wakefulness to be able to train my new team members. I have literally been on every medication, including Xywav, in the last three years, and this is the first time I’ve experienced any level of relief.

Third – and this is the big one – He literally rerouted every hurricane in the 2025 season that was heading for the East Coast.

You read that right.My God moved the Mount Everest of mountains for me. He did what I never even entertained as a possibility when asking for help to get through hurricane season. He made what was expected to be an above average season the opposite.

“…Even the wind and waves obey Him!” (Matthew 8:27, Mark 4:41, Luke 8:25)

There has not been one single hurricane that has made landfall on the East Coast this hurricane season. Yes, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall, but it wasn’t a hurricane. Yes, Hurricane Erin came close enough to cause beach erosion, strong surf, rip currents and coastal flooding, but it didn’t make landfall. Yes, Hurricane Melissa made landfall, but it was in Jamaica, not the U.S., making it an International Red Cross response. Even Imelda, who appeared to be on track to make landfall on the East Coast near North Carolina on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, made a sharp right out at sea like the others.

Photo of Imelda path from https://www.accuweather.com.

If you google the reason why most of this year’s hurricanes turned right and stayed out at sea instead of making landfall, you’ll see articles and videos explaining that dips – or troughs – in the jet stream have helped push the tropical systems out to sea and away from the East Coast. If you google why Imelda turned away from North Carolina, you’ll see credit given to Hurricane Humberto and the Fujiwhara effect.

But I know the truth. There was a mountain called Hurricane Season standing in my way, and when I asked God for general help, He got specific about clearing a path.

I can hear you now. “Jenn, you really think God diverted the entire hurricane season for you? Seriously?”

Serious as a Cat 5.

I think God answered a lot of people’s prayers by diverting those storms because a lot of people are tired, and a lot of people still need time to recover from last year.

But I also believe He did it for me. I asked for help, and He heard me and He answered.

Trust me, kid. I’ve got you.

If I had left my job based on my emotions instead of obeying and staying, I would have missed out on seeing God do big things. Faith-changing things. Worship-inspiring things. Every day I listen to “What an Awesome God” by Phil Wickham because it expresses what I feel after seeing what He has done. “Fire in His eyes. Healing in His veins. Everywhere His glory on display. Take a look at the stars. He can name ’em all. Before His throne every knee falls. The demons have to run, the angels have to praise.Even the wind and waves obey.”

I have a confession. My faith in God following through for me has always been weak. Not because I don’t think He can but because I think why would He do for me when there are so many others hurting more than I am. If I had left my job instead of listening to Him, I would not have seen what He is willing to do for me. I would not have seen how truly big my God is. How awesome my God is. It is emboldening and exciting and beautiful to see what He can do. And I understand now when people say that if you trust God, He will work things out in ways that are bigger and better than you can ever imagine.

I literally can’t wait to see what He does next.

Did you know I have a Spotify list for the songs I mention in my blog posts?

Look for Little Did She Know on Spotify and follow along!

Song Recommendation for the Week:

“Don’t Stop Praying” by Matthew West

“What’s your impossible? You’re ‘I need a miracle?’ What’s got you barely hanging by a single thread? …Don’t stop believing ‘cause mountains move with just a little faith. And your Father’s heard every single word you’re saying, so don’t stop praying.”