CWRC Anthology

JUST HAVE FAITH

© 2022 by Christine Chinyere. C. EzealaChristine

Brought to you by the Christian Writers and Readers Club

Tinashe walked out of the house being careful not to fall from the steps as she descended to the last one.
Being blind was something she always detested and she always wished she could see like the rest of her siblings, maybe then her parents would love her as they do them.

She sat on the last step and heaved out a heavy sigh as she used her cane to tap the ground. She had been using a cane since the age of eight when she started moving around more even though she always wanted a lap dog instead.

She was an introvert and had been bullied countless numbers of times and she once tried to kill herself by jumping into the school's swimming pool.
She was fortunately saved in time and her parents immediately rushed to the school. She wondered why they were so worried seeing as they didn't love her.

"Stupid life, useless as usual!" She yelled and threw her cane across the road.

A man was passing and it ended up at his feet, he picked it up and looked at the direction it came from.
He turned and walked towards her house. There wasn't a gate yet as her parents were still building the house.

She heard his footsteps and was on alert as her parents told her to never ask who was there in case it was a kidnapper and finds out she was blind thereby taking advantage of her vulnerability.

"Hi, sorry to disturb you, well, it's more like you who disturbed my walk, but, does this cane belong to you?" The man asked in a polite and hoarse voice.

"Seeing as I'm blind, I think you should know that for yourself," she said looking straight ahead, away from the man to her right.

The man laughed making her even more irritated, "are you laughing at my disability?" She asked in annoyance and his smile immediately dropped.

"I would never do that, seeing as my daughter was once blind herself."
Tinashe relaxed before tensing up again.

"Look sir, my parents are just inside and I may be blind but I know not to talk to a stranger. My eyes don't work, not my brain."

"Calm down, I've even brought your cane as a peace offering. Let me keep you company for a bit, how old are you?" He asked taking a seat to her annoyance though she didn't protest.

"I'm fourteen, and who are you, are you looking for young people to traffic."

The man laughed again, "Okay, if you say so. I'm Jonah and my dear always keep in mind that there aren't only bad people in the world. There'll always be a remnant."

"Well, there are mostly bad people so..." She said playing around with the cane again now that he gave it to her.

"Okay away from that, why did you throw your cane away?" Jonah asked her waiting intensely for her answer.

"I, I'm just hating my life right now and I don't... I don't think I want to live it anymore."

He frowned, why was this child thinking about death when she had a long life ahead of her and God's will was yet to be fulfilled by it?

"Why do you want to die?" He asked feeling pity remembering his daughter.

"Because," she sighed, "there's no hope for me. I mean my parents don't love me, my siblings don't love me, I have no friends and probably never will."

"What makes you think they don't love you?"

"Well, they don't treat me like the rest of my siblings, they don't, well I just know they don't love me, I just feel different compared to my siblings."

"Do they pay your school fees?" She nodded, "do they buy you things? Do they tell you they love you?" She nodded slowly looking down.

"Yeah, they do all that but it's not about the words, it's the emotions and I just know they don't want me. I'm just a burden on them," she said as her eyes began to water.

"Let me tell you, what you have is an inferiority complex and that's the reason you believe that no one loves you, you feel like just because you have a disability you are nothing, but I'm telling you, you are something. And if you don't believe in yourself no one will."

She was now shedding tears after his words. "You crave attention and when you feel that attention is on someone else, you begin to feel that way, but that's just the devil's way of lowering our self-esteem and confidence. Do you know Jesus?"

She wiped furiously at her tears, "yes, my family is Christian, but I feel He's done nothing but bring me into a world of hate and he hates me like everybody else."

"Well can I first tell you he loves you, he loves you and he never makes a mistake so you being here is not a mistake, neither are those teens with kids, their children aren't mistakes to God, sure it's not his intention to make the teens young parents or you do not see, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you none the less. He loves you, Jesus loves you and He'll never want to hurt you.
God loves you and wants you to see Him not physically but spiritually. It's just like it was with Thomas, He said you saw me and believed but blessed are those who can't see me yet believe."

"But if He loves me so much why can't He heal me?"

"He definitely wants to heal you, but sometimes he waits for you to stop trusting in horses and chariots, to stop thinking you are nothing, sometimes He just wants you to trust Him and have faith."

"But how do I do that, I mean I come from a Christian family and have known Him my whole life, what can you do to help me have faith."

"I can pray a prayer of salvation with you. Being in a Christian family doesn't make a Christian and neither does going to church make one. You have to admit with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for you and was raised by God from the dead. Are you ready?"

"Yes," he took her hand in his.

"Now say after me, dear God, my heavenly father, I come today to say thank you for my life. I may not be able to see the blue skies nor the green grass, but I can see that you love me, and that's enough. I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart, that you are the son of God who is alive and by you only can any be saved. Come into my life and make my heart your home. Give me your Holy Spirit and help me to do your work, in Jesus' name I pray amen."

She repeated till the very end and tears ran down her face, she felt all her anxiety, depression, and anger left, and something else too.

"You should read Ephesians, especially as a new Christian, you should remain strong in the love of God and always remember he loves you so have faith in Him."

After a while, he left and she opened her eyes, but unlike the usual darkness she was used to seeing, she saw light and turned around looking at the house and then the cane she was holding.

She threw it aside thanking God before excitedly running into the house. So this was the result of having faith in God.

The house filled with her parents' and siblings' joyful cries and prayers of thanksgiving.

Jonah smiled as he continued walking, he couldn't help his daughter, but at least he could help someone find God and have faith in Him.

Thank you for reading, for more you can contact the writer on:

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email: ezealachristine@gmail.com