LISA, not her real name, wants to remain anonymous, but wants her story to be told to inspire others. She lost her job four years ago and her life changed drastically afterwards. Once a public servant, she is now a beggar. Every day is an uphill battle for her. She is now a frail woman, but still, she walks through life with whatever courage she can muster.
One might wonder how she does it. According to “Lisa”, God keeps her sane and on her darkest days he’s right there with her. He’s her comforter and provider.
Here is Lisa’s story in her own words:
“I got sick years ago because I was working in terrible conditions. I had to stay home at one point because I wasn’t in the best shape and I lost my job soon after. I’ve been looking for a job for years but I haven’t gotten anything steady. It’s really hard and I can’t do much since my health is not the best,” she said.
“I went to ministers and they always made promises but never kept them. I’m just hoping things will be different this time around; I’m waiting to see what happens,” Lisa said.
Lisa believes her soft heart led to her downfall. After she lost her job she opened a small business, but sadly, that did not work out either. In fact, she admitted, she made some “stupid mistakes along the way” and as a result, she lost everything.
“I gave people credit like I was mad and when I wanted my money, I couldn’t get it back. I went bankrupt. I felt sorry for people and believed them when they told me they would pay me back. Some people told me they would give me the money when they got paid but that never happened. That just put me off,” she revealed.
“I was a vendor; I just want help so I can start over. If I get help, I’ll make better decisions. The first time I was a fool so I cannot be a fool again. Next time, I’ll be smarter. I’ll have to do like some business places and have a no credit rule. I wouldn’t be sitting here begging people for money if things were different because I don’t put money in people’s pockets. I don’t send people to work for me,” the woman said.
Life can be truly challenging for Lisa but she continues to press on.
“Every day is not a bright day,” she noted.
According to Lisa, some days are harder than others. There are days when she barely has a cent to her name, but despite this she continues to trust Jesus. According to her, he’s her way maker. When she kneels down to pray, she finds strength in her Lord and Saviour. He means everything to her.
“When I call on him I know he hears my prayers, I know he hears my cry and he knows my situation. Some people might wonder how I can believe in God when I’m going through all of this. I used to think that way too but I don’t think that way anymore,” she said.
She continued: “Every day is not Christmas. Even though life is (hard) you have to be satisfied. There are days when I wake up and I don’t have five cents but someone might give me a parcel of bread. There are days when you might not expect anything and God will make a way for you and you can buy groceries, etc.”
But if the next day isn’t as good as the previous, give thanks nonetheless, she advised.
“There are days when you won’t get anything so if tomorrow comes and you don’t have, don’t be angry. Sometimes you might only have a cup of tea but you have to be grateful because God still gave you something. Even though I have a little, I recognize that God is making a way for me and sometimes God is testing your faith, you can never tell. When God gives me it’s good and when God doesn’t it’s still good because it’s through him I’m getting by and without him there is no way. A lot of people say there is no God but that’s not true. I know there is a God,” she said.
Although her life is not going as planned, Lisa is still optimistic. She has the breath of life and she’s grateful for it. She’s taking life one day at a time; it might be a struggle, but with God, she knows everything will be okay.