THE 1ØVE STORY

Redemption – (Samm Henshaw)

THE STORY:

“What do you think about when you hear someone say anything is possible?”

The question above is the first question I ask on the ABOUT page of Ten Days In Love, it opened up the beginning of a redemption process for me and my life. I used to believe it was impossible for me to change. But now I can’t even imagine thinking that way…and my hope is through all of these stories that I have shared that you can start to see why…I have recently been asked by people Why? And How? Why did you start this blog? And how did it actually begin? With only one more 1ØVE story post remaining after today’s blog entry, I really wanted to take the time and tell you exactly how this started and an unexplainable amazing story behind it…

Last year I sat down one night to start writing music like I normally would…but instead of music lyrics I began to just start writing down everything I was thankful for in 2015 and my list began to grow… It made me think back on everything I had been through in my life, many of which I have shared in the blog. It made me realize how truly thankful I was. I felt like God was telling me to start writing down these stories, even the ones that I had never told anyone. I began to feel this calling to share them, but not just tell the stories, but also tell how love came from everything in my life…The morning before the blog was to launch I woke up and was just praying that God would speak to me and somehow let me know I was doing the right thing. I knew there would be risks and I was scared to open up and I was also worried about what I was going to write, what stories I would tell or could tell, what questions, what answers…because I had never done anything like this. If you told me six years ago I would be doing this…I would probably haved just laughed at you…So I opened my daily devotional app and the title of the devotion was

Remain In Me: John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

I felt like that was God speaking… clear as day…he spoke right back to my prayer…and this is where it gets crazy…

I went back to open my phone up and get the notes from that devotion to write them down and when I opened it back up that devotion was completely gone…it was a completely different devotion as if the one I read had never happened! And I can’t expain it! My app has never done that since I have used it! I even uninstalled and reinstalled it and it would not go back to what I had seen before…it was amazing. I felt like in a way it was God saying “hey I will be there with you…I will be there to guide you through what I have called you to do…not just in a blog, but in life. remain in me and I will remain in you.” After that moment, I never had a fear of anything.

THE QUESTION:

Do you believe anything is possible? Do you believe in redemption? If you could write a story about your life…what would it be about? How would you describe it? And would you be thankful for it no matter what?

THE ANSWER:

“Think I’m gonna give up now, I don’t even know if there’s a way, a way to make it out. Oh no, oh no said I need you beside me… said I need you beside me…”

Iniabasi Samuel Henshaw, known as Samm Henshaw, is a singer, songwriter and record producer born in London, England raised by his Nigerian parents. Samm grew up with the sounds of music filling his house but nobody in his family played any instruments. Henshaw first learned to play an instrument in his church, where his father was the pastor. During his final year at school, where he studied music, Henshaw signed his first publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis. Later the same year, Samm signed a record deal with Columbia Records. In an interview, Henshaw was asked if he could pick a song to be the soundtrack of his life, what would it be? He replies, “My own song Redemption… if that is ok to say? It sums up a lot of my life…the experiences I have had…and how I have overcome and come out of it.”

John 15:4 | Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

A friend of mine posted the question on facebook this time last year: “In one word describe how you felt in 2015?” I said “Redeemed” and for 2016 I said “Ready.” But what will be in store for us in 2017? I don’t know for sure…but I am happy and I am trusting in my guide. I can’t wait to see how it all works out…My stories all started by writing down what I was thankful for in my life. In a weird and unique way I chose the word “redeemed” just like Henshaw’s song featured in this blog. I truly know God found me when I was searching for a redemption… and I am thankful for it. He can help us every single day. So I say give thanks to God, for the good times and the bad times. True love stories always end with a happily ever after…and that is exactly what God wants for us…His love for you and me endures forever…the ever after. Believe in it. Don’t ever give up…even when you think change is impossible! Believe in = LOVE. Nothing is impossible…

1 Chronicles 16:34

34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

(Listen below to Redemption by Samm Henshaw)