Are you struggling with difficult circumstances, thinking life will never get better? Then maybe this story will help.
Annette saw a photo I had posted of a tree that was crooked but still blooming with beautiful flowers (see post in May on the Crooked Tree). She sent me a message to say, “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, you still get up. You get hit; you don’t stay down. Others know about your fall but guess what …it is the beauty after”! It made me reach out to her and hear her story.
Meet Annette – at 8 years old, she was taking care of her younger siblings, shopping in the market and doing housework. It meant she missed many days of school and, often, just the joy of playing with her friends. She was the 5th of what would eventually be 12 children; her Mum did the best she could, working hard to support an ever-growing family.
One day, however, it was the realization that her mother was pregnant once again that broke her spirit. That day she went into the yard and wailed. This was not the life she had imagined for herself, even at such a young age. She knew there had to be something greater out there for her. In that moment she bawled to God, “You hate me! Why do you hate me so much?”
It would be a pivotal moment in her life because circumstances would soon change; her mom would have a medical procedure to save her life and, at the same time, have her tubes tied.
Of course, this all played out in her young mind. Naturally, as a child, guilt made her feel that she may have had something to do with this, but it also helped her to understand that God did not hate her. In fact, she would begin to see His hand quietly directly her life, helping her to rise in challenging situations.
She had to leave school at age 14, after a terrifying encounter with a young man who had been watching her…yet another challenging situation where she would see God moving in favor! What appeared to be a roadblock turned out to be a blessing, as it led to her getting into secretarial school and from there into cosmetology school with all fees covered and even a stipend to cover her bus fare. Two weeks before graduating cosmetology school, she was offered a job.
Now she could use her funds to purchase the materials needed to build a better home for her mother and siblings all before reaching the age of 25. That same job would provide an opportunity to work in another country. It would provide the funding to send some of her siblings to school and even to college. All this would be further proof to her that God did not hate her afterall, but that He was working in her life and providing her with a powerful testimony of His greatness.
You would never guess Annette’s life struggle if you met her casually. She is focused, thankful and prayerful.
It reminds me that people can come from difficult circumstances and make a difference, not just for themselves but for others. All it means is that we must have faith to believe there is something greater that God has in store for us!
Live well and Love life 