"They didn't know it was impossible, so they did it," said Mark Twain. When most people say, "Impossible!" Cedric and Sinthia say, "Possible!"
Married for two years, Cedric and Sinthia chose to commit themselves to the Lord through the waters of baptism on Sabbath, September 12, 2020. Very few people believed it. And yet they did it, and today they are grateful to God.
"I thank the Lord for sending Sinthia on my journey; she is a woman who has God’s love in her," Cedric shared at the time of their baptism. "Today, I am very happy to experience what people thought was impossible. We did it. We got married two years ago and today we are making a covenant with the Lord. Glory be to God !"
This testimony is an inspiration in many ways. Cedric is 39, with a master's degree in human resources. He was a recruitment manager for five years at SNCF Gares et Connexions (the French Railway Corporation) and payroll manager for three years at SNCF headquarters. For the past two years, he has been an internal human resources consultant at the finance department of the SNCF network.
Suffering from a myopathy that has immobilized him in a corset on a chair since he was very young, Cedric cannot move either his arms or his legs. He is thus totally and physically dependent.
This, however, did not prevent him from pursuing higher education, work, marriage, and a covenant with the Lord through baptism.
Of course, as you can imagine, not everything has always been like clockwork, as Cedric himself points out. He shares his testimony:
"My journey has been full of pitfalls and it has been very difficult for me, especially at the beginning of my university studies. I found myself, for example, sometimes in the middle of winter in the rain, unable to handle my electric chair. At the time, I had no one to help me. I almost dropped everything. But the Lord has always been there for me, I know that. He put people on my path whom he used to accomplish his work in my life. I thank God very much for that.
“Among these people, I think of my friend Jackson Sintina who invited me several times to visit his church in Aubervilliers in Paris. I have always known that Jesus was our Savior; I have always had him within me. Little by little, I got closer and closer to the Bible and talked more and more about it with Jackson. Recently, he asked me to witness about my journey in several churches in the Northern France Conference as part of the Weekend Special for those with Special Needs (WESH) set up by Adventist Possibility Ministries. I thought it would be a humble and sincere way to thank God for all that he has given me in my life. Even the trials he gives us are to make us grow; indeed, God loves us. And I can testify of his love.
On the other hand, what strengthened my relationship with God was my encounter with Sinthia which radically changed my life. Through her, I see the love of God. She is a woman who loves God and wants to serve him. She is a real gift from heaven. I know that many people have questions about our marriage, but our marriage and baptism are perfectly normal if we truly believe in God. What is impossible for men, is possible for God.
This is the message of hope and faith in the promise of our Lord, which we wish to share with you today in this article.”
Our church can only be stronger with Cedric and Sinthia. Likewise, they can only become stronger with God. Therefore, let us pray to the Lord and act so that the God of the impossible may help us make our churches welcoming places where we truly believe that: "Yes, inclusion is possible!"
The original article was published on this website.