About Tanna Donalson
There are only a few things people can ask me that kind of make me lock up. ”Tell me about yourself” is one of those things. I just don’t really like to talk about myself that much because I don’t know what to say. We will start here: this is what Wikipedia tells me about my name. There is an island in Vanuatu named Tanna island which I did research on. Captain James Cook founded it and it is covered with volcanoes and absolutely beautiful!! Tanna is a city in Germany founded in 1945. Never been there - it sounds really small. I bet I would love it. Tanna is also a genus name for cicadas and jumping spiders - who knew? It’s also a common Hindu last name - mostly in Afghanistan. And last - there is a famous bellydancer in New York named Tanna Valentine. Who really cares right? So that’s what the world tells me my name means. This is who Jesus tells me I am: I am a filthy sinner brought into a dying, suffering and Godless world. I am hard headed, stubborn, selfish at times and I know I deserve hell. If it weren’t for Jesus coming to die for us, I along with all of you would suffer for eternity. The GRACE Christ had for us on the day Jesus died was unmeasurable and will never again be matched and praise the Amazing Heavenly Father for that. Thank the Lord that He softened me to His Spirit in time because if He had not rescued me before the day of my death - I would spend eternity in hell just like I deserve. Instead, I will spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven constantly being reminded of the fact that it is only by the Grace of Christ that I even know Him. Without the help of Jesus, I can’t even have a relationship, talk to, listen to, follow or obey Him. That is exactly why I mess up so much - I forget that I can’t do anything right without help. The more I get to know Him, the more I realize how sinful and filthy we really are. I am hardly ever speechless (if you can’t already tell) but that is why God’s nature baffles me so much: I am speechless. I find Him very indescribable. I can’t put words together that sound worthy or good enough to describe Him. In a nutshell, if I must say, I am a 26 year old PA Student about to go to Ghana for the first time. I will be going for part of my residency and I couldn’t be more excited! I have a wonderful family and a mother who taught me how to love people better than any other human could have. I love people with painful compassion. The word compassion obviously means ‘with passion’. Passion usually refers to some sort of emotional suffering. So being able to love with ‘emotional suffering’ is a gift that I have been given without asking for it. Like I said, mom taught me to love which I do and the Lord taught me even deeper how to have compassion for people. I don’t know how it works and I have to be honest and say that it is not always fun. I cry a lot. I cried with a patient just the other day in the hospital. He wasn’t even crying and he just received some really bad news. He had to hold my hands and tell me that it was going to be okay. His spirit was softened to the Holy Spirit through it all but it is not always fun to break into tears because you literally feel pain for someone. How will I survive in Africa you ask? I don’t know. I am asking the Lord the same thing. I know Jesus will teach me how. One of my favorite things to read through when I feel deceived by Satan: This says it better than I can. WHO AM I?I am the salt of the earth - Matt 5:13 I am the light of the world - Matt 5:14 I am a child of God - John 1:12 I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit - John 15:16 I am a temple - a dwelling place - of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in me - 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19 I am a member of Christ’s body - 1 Cor. 12:27, Eph 5:30 I am a new creation and praise Jesus for that - 2 Cor. 5:17 I am reconciled to God and am now a minister of reconciliation - 2 Cor. 5:18-19 I am daughter of God and one in Christ - Gal 3:26,28 I am hidden with Christ in God - Col 3:3 I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life - Col 3:4 I am a daughter of light and not of darkness - 1 Thess 5:5 I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life - Heb 3:14 I AM AN ENEMY OF THE DEVIL - 1 Peter 5:8 I am born of God, and the evil one - the devil - CANNOT TOUCH ME! - 1 John 5:18 I am NOT the Great I Am, but by the Grace of God - I am what I am - Exod 3:14, John 8:24,28,58 1 Cor 15:10 May the grace and peace of our loving Father overwhelm your soul. Amen.