A moving testimony recently on KTN’s Tukuza show best illustrates the amazing work God does in restoring the family that has faced many challenges.
Anne went through what I would consider the worst experience for a woman.
She loses her first son at birth and six years later, another son died in a road accident. Her husband blamed her for the second death. He was psychologically disturbed and contemplated committing suicide.
But Anne’s resilience and counseling skills come in handy, and she dissuaded him.
You would think that is the end of her tragic story. Anne’s daughter was ailing, and then her husband died in a road accident.
READ MORE
Bride, groom, spy: India's wedding detectives
AG's office gives couples chance to say 'I do' in style for extra fee
How FGM fuels child marriages and teenage pregnancies in Meru
Woman's dream for an education comes true despite early marriage
Her in-laws blamed her for the death, and barred her from attending funeral meetings.
Anne had been running a small business to supplement the husband’s income but when he died, she had to move the family to smaller house. Anne’s troubles were not over.
She had borrowed Sh 50,000 which she could not pay nack, and the lender reported her to the police, and she was locked up.
When she was taken to court, the judge did not jail her but asked if she had any property she could use as collateral.
Her mother provided that. By then, her eldest daughter was supposed to join university.
Eight years later, Anne’s is a success story. Because God intervened. God is in the business of restoring. We learn five lessons from Anne’s story.
• It doesn’t matter how low you have sunk. God will restore you. Suffering does not last forever. There are seasons of joy and seasons of pain but it does not mean God has forgotten us.
• God keeps His promises. Throughout these ordeals, Anne held on to the word of God where He promises to take care of widows and orphans. Today, her eldest daughter is about to graduate.
• Man can never interfere with your destiny. Anne faced stiff opposition from her husband’s family after he died but her spirit was not broken. She survived and is leading a normal and decent life with her children.
• There is no other person who can help us in times of need if not God. This is what Anne did. Whenever a tragedy occurred, she would run to God. When she was told her husband had died, she prayed for strength.
• Your attitude determines how long you will grieve. It seems to me she would bounce back to normalcy sooner than later. Anne’s attitude was that life is the way it is and we cannot fight it.
The only sensible thing to do is to surrender to God and let Him be in charge. She had the ability to accept reality and believe in God.