(The story of Mary in her own words)
The Lord tells us in Jeremiah 29:11; ‘I know
the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘Plans for welfare and not evil, to
give you a future and a hope.’ The only thing you have to do is to have faith
in God and trust in Him.
I come from a family of four children. I am
the first born child. I was the first grandchild in our extended family. It was
a real surprise because out of seven children, my dad was the last born. All the
other grandchildren from his brothers had all died and when I was born, they
told mum that there was no way I would survive. After sometime, I was attacked
by a disease that was not easy to treat. My mum almost lost hope thinking that I
would definitely die. My dad and my relatives rejected me too. My mum looked
for help everywhere and finally God helped her and she was able to find
treatment for me.
After nine years, my dad started drinking. We
always had chaos in the house when he was around. In the month of December, my
mum and dad divorced and left my sibling under my care. We started a hard life without
our mum. One day, something terrible happened.
My dad brought six of his co-workers at
home. They were all men. This is the day that totally changed my life. It took
away all my pride. I was sexually abused by the six men. I really didn’t know
what happened next because I lost consciousness. In the morning, not knowing
what to do and having no one to tell, I decided to clear the mess while feeling
all the pain. After some days, I realized that I had a wound around my private
parts and it was really painful. I was having difficulty walking. I decided to
tell my Aunt who took me to the hospital for medication. The doctor said that I
had contracted an STD. That was very painful for me but my Aunt was able to
make sure that I got the best medication without telling my dad.
After this incident, I was unable to accept
myself back. I was even unable to associate well with my friends and those
around me. I have always blamed my dad for everything that happened to me and I
hate him with all my heart. Even though mum came back, I did not have the
courage to tell her about the incident. Even after she came back, our house
still had a lot of drama.
I couldn’t bear to see my dad abusing and
beating up my mum. He would even beat us and throw us out of the house at
night. He would some time come and pour the food we had cooked. Bear in mind
that for us to find food was a real problem. My dad used to curse me every day and
say that I would never succeed in life. My parents would always separate every
year almost as a routine and I would be left to take care of my siblings.
After clearing Standard Eight, I passed
well and I was admitted to a well performing high school. My dad refused to take
care of my schooling and refused even to allow me to go to school. With the
help of my mum and uncle, I secured a sponsorship. I am now studying under the
sponsorship of a Good Samaritan from Netherlands.
Of late, I have been very sickly. I have
Asthma, Ulcers and a bladder infection. My dad refused to pay for my medication
and said that I could just be sick and die since all people must die one day. For
now, the biggest problem am facing is rejection from my relatives. My dad is
very sick and my relatives have rejected my family because they already got
what they wanted. I believe that the Lord who cured me and enabled me to pass
through all this is the same Lord who is going to cure my father. I do believe
and trust that the Lord is still with us. I do still have a lot of difficulty
forgiving my father and the men who raped me. I know God is going to help me.
Though we feel rejected, God tells us in
John 6:37; ‘I will not reject anyone who comes to me.’ This is a promise by the
Lord who is always faithful in all his promises. I give all the glory and
honor, praise and worship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who has enabled me
to pass through all this and to be strong. I earnestly pray for all those who
will read this to be blessed in the Mighty and Holy Name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
Read Psalms: 136:1-3, 121 and 119:145-176
