"A Season of Transition"

Minister Digna Pearson is a woman after God's own heart who devotes her time and energies towards serving others. She became a widow after her late husband, Attorney and Associate Pastor Charles Pearson of Spirit of Faith Christian Center, passed unexpectedly. As the President of ShineBeautifully, I considered it an honor to interview Minister Digna on her life journey and on how she is navigating through life after the passing of her husband.

A Look at who is Minister Digna Pearson

This beautiful woman of God is a native U. S. Virgin Islander and the eldest of four children. During our interview, Minster Pearson mentioned that she is her parents’ only daughter, and has three younger brothers whom she adores. Mrs. Pearson is also the proud mother of an adorable daughter named Taylor, a current law school student. She currently works for the Johns Hopkins Health System, where she serves as the Director of Patient Relations, Risk Management, and Regulatory Affairs. Mrs. Pearson enjoys working with attorneys as they remind her of her late husband. Pastor Charles was an attorney and Harvard Law school graduate.

Mrs. Pearson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health Administration, a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing and a Master of Health Administration from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Strategic Leadership at Regent University. Ladies!! I know many of you are saying, Wow!! Just Wow!! Let me share something with you, regardless of all Mrs. Pearson's credentials and career profile; she is a very humble and genuine Woman of God.

Mr. & Mrs. Pearson Marriage & Ministry

Pastor Charles Pearson and Mrs. Digna Pearson were married for five and a half years before his passing on November 15, 2018. Mrs. Pearson reflected on the many opportunities they shared traveling the world and doing ministry together. She explained that they took their ministry assignment very seriously, including loving God's people. The couple considered being in Ministry, and in HIS service an honor and privilege.

The Coping Mechanism of a Widow

Life takes unexpected turns, some of which we never expect. But as Christians, we understand that the Lord's plan for our lives is perfect. Lady Pearson is clear that the enemy, Satan, Beelzebub, stole Pastor Charles' life. She journeys through life, remaining steadfast in the Lord. Before dating Pastor Charles, Minister Digna was enrolled in Dallas Theological Seminary studying the Bible, teaching at Spirit of Faith Bible Institute (SOFBI), and the new members' class at Spirit of Faith Christian Center. This foundation helped to keep her grounded during this "season of mourning."

Mrs. Pearson also lost her father a few months before her husband's unexpected death. During our interview, she pointed out that being actively involved in ministry, living the word of God, and being surrounded by the word were essential principles that helped her through this season of mourning. During this transition, the love and support from her local church family buoyed her strength. She is beyond grateful for everything they have done and continue to do. One of her favorite quotes from Apostle Michael Freeman is: "If you are going through hell, DON'T STOP!" Mrs. Pearson has applied this principle to her life and promised herself that "DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION". "How can I?! when God is my anchor, my strength, and my hope.

At the time of Pastor Charles' passing, Mrs. Pearson's place of employment was preparing for a major survey, and passing this survey became her primary focus. These work events lasted several months' and allowed her little to no time to focus on her loss. Remaining busy provided Mrs. Pearson a way of escape and opportunities to avoid depression.

How has Pastor Charles passing impacted your everyday life? Mrs. Pearson emphasized that we tend to miss the many things we take for granted when our loved ones are alive. For example, "not having someone to look out for me every day, or driving me to work every day; watching me walk to the mailbox; opening all doors including the car door; taking out the trash, and doing the things that men typically would do around the house." It's so important to appreciate the men in our lives for these activities.

Before marriage, Mrs. Pearson had been a very independent woman, but marriage also taught her about shared responsibility. She learned that it's easy to become dependent on your spouse in marriage for addressing things in the home. Mrs. Pearson is once again, "Ms. Independent." She mentioned the transition from being married to a widow is challenging. For example, "my co-workers would see Pastor Charles drop me off at work; open my car door and watch me walk to my office; now, I have to do that on my own." Following the passing of her husband, an independent life once again reflects her new normal.

How have you been moving forward? For Mrs. Pearson moving forward happened in phases. Phase one focused on "the boxes," removing Charles' clothing from the closets. She recalls her daughter Taylor and Taylor's best friend assisting with removing the clothing and placing them into boxes. Mrs. Pearson joked about closet space being a girl's best friend. This phase initiated the healing process. Step two took her almost a year before she could pack the remainder of Pastor Charles's belongings.

Phase three came when she made a conscious decision to always focus on the positive, knowing she would be alright in this season. She recalled attending a singles meeting held at her local church; she said, "She attended the meeting as a means to learn life skills and fellowship not because she was seeking a relationship." While at the singles meeting, she met another widow who lost her husband more than 5+ years ago but had not yet gotten over his passing. She quickly discerned that the woman was still actively grieving and having a hard time overcoming the situation. Nevertheless, Mrs. Pearson was determined within herself that she would biblically grieve appropriately by immersing herself in the word of God, service in ministry, and by maintaining a positive mindset regardless of the situation.

What do you do to feed your soul? Mrs. Pearson's healthcare career emphasizes the connection between the body and the mind. This concept is also consistent with biblical principles. She mentioned the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, guarding the eyes, and protecting the ear gates because it does matter what you feed your body and your spirit. She needed to focus on the positive because what you focus on expands and becomes your reality. Because Mrs. Pearson did not want to have a spirit of depression in her life, she needed to maintain healthy thought processes. What you feed your body affects your health and how you function daily. What you read, watch, and listen to affects your spirit and the way you live. Entertaining any spirit that is not uplifting or godly would not be tolerated in her home or her life. Spending quality time in the word of God and in His presence would be how she would feed her soul.

What would you say to anyone who has lost a loved one? Mrs. Pearson encourages others to do their "best by filling their minds and meditating on things that are true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies (Philippians 4:8). Focus on that good report knowing that the Lord's plan for our lives is perfect."

"God is my lifeline, and I don't say that lightly; I find that when I became sold out for God, everything improved and went up, and up from there." The scripture says that "if you draw near to him, he will draw near to you." "You can tell God how you feel about anything, just pour it all out on him (your disappointment, your anger, your rage, your fears, your frustrations, your hopes, and your dreams) and he is big enough, his shoulders broad enough to understand and handle all your troubles." Jeremiah 29:11 is one of Mrs. Pearson's favorite scriptures, "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 a hope and a future." She believes that our lives are safe in the hands of the Lord. The Lord knows every detail about our future, which is secure in Him. Every plan he has for our lives is better than anything we could ever conceive. Life doesn't come without hardship, loss, pain, suffering, or difficulty. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, which includes taking our loved ones' lives if allowed an opportunity.

Ladies!! Ladies!! Wow!! Just Wow!! I trust that you have learnt from Minister Dignas’ story. She is shining beautifully because what she had gone through didn’t break her; instead she is using her testimony to change the lives of other women. She has overcome and has built strength as a result of her relationship with the Lord.

I love you Sis!!

I pray that you will receive ALL that the Lord has in store for your life.

Stay Blessed!!

Go ahead and “Girl Just Shine”.