I Can Face Tomorrow

By H.C. Robins

I Can Face Tomorrow inspires strength, perseverance, and hope.

I Can Face Tomorrow encourages women to: Stand up for yourself; Speak up when something seems wrong; Never be silent when youre in danger; Believe in the power of God; and Believe in yourself.

You can brave insurmountable odds if you believe in your God-given abilities. Dont doubt that you can make it. I Can Face Tomorrow reminds parents to keep an eye on their young children. When something goes wrong, investigate. You can never be too suspicious, when it comes to your children and their surroundings. Above all, dont be shy when it comes to talking about important subjects that they need to know. If theyre informed, you give them a chance to escape many life-altering problems. Be careful who you trust with your children. Encourage parents to let children know they can talk about anything. Let them know they are not responsible for things they have no control of; nor will they be judged by someone elses actions.

I Can Face Tomorrow is a testimony of what God can do, when you believe!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449772543

H.C. Robins

H. C. Robins is an evangelist and teacher of Rehoboth Deliverance Temple in New Jersey. She has ten years’ experience in the management field; an associate degree in computer information systems; bachelor’s degrees in management science and human services management. The Jamaican-born mother of two lives with her husband in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

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Copyright © 2012 H. C. Robins

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7253-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7252-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7254-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920584

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WestBow Press rev. date: 10/31/2012

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Dedication

I Can Face Tomorrow is dedicated to the women who dare to dream and have the courage to make that dream a reality.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to God for giving me the strength to write. To my husband, Aaron, who encouraged me to write. To my sons, Nate and O’Brian, for their patience; to my pastor, church family, extended family and friends who inspired me more than they know. Of course, to my mother, who showed me how to love.

Chapter 1

Nina packed the last box and ran the tape across it with a sigh of relief. Moving is never an easy job, but it had to be done. She sat down and watched her husband, Mark, her two sons, Andrew and Tyrone and their friends as they made trip after trip to the truck. In a few hours, they would be leaving New Jersey for North Carolina. Nina had spent her last twenty-two years in New Jersey. Now she was moving on to new and hopefully better things. It seemed like a lifetime since she had moved into this house. Where did the time go? She remembered how excited they were—two teenage boys and no husband. Those were wonderful days, and God willing, more good days would come.

It had been five months since Nina had worked. She could not have anticipated she would be out of a job, but after fourteen years with a manufacturing company, there she was, laid off and leaving town. Over the last several years, the economy had taken a turn for the worse. Everyone was feeling the financial pinch, but through it all, she had nothing to complain about. She had to thank God for His blessings. He had provided for all her needs, and she knew He would continue to do so. God is still good.

Once the decision was made to leave New Jersey, April 27, 2012 came very fast. Nina and Mark were running around, trying to get everything in order. There were final bills to pay, accounts to close, final issues with the church, cable equipment to return, and a U-Haul truck to secure. Nina had always planned on leaving the state, but it came a lot sooner than she intended. Her pastor and the entire church were not happy to see them go. Some members, including her sister, Donna, tried to discourage them from leaving. Donna even went so far as to point out that it was not the will of God for them to leave the state. Well, it was in God’s hands now, because the day was here, and the packing was just about done.

These boxes will not move themselves, Nina thought as she carried one out to the truck. Her mind wandered back to the excitement she felt eight years ago when she bought this house. The boys had run upstairs to pick out their rooms, and she had walked in the living room, thinking of the changes she would make there. She was separated from her husband, Lopez. She could not think of a good reason why she had not filed for a divorce. She knew Lopez would not do it, because he did not want to spend the money. Things would settle down, so filing was the next big thing on her agenda. Lance, her best friend ever, had been nagging her about it, too.

Lance was a godsend; he was thoughtful and very helpful. He was never big on casual gift-giving, but he was very strong and self-assured. He was highly intelligent and could clear up all her doubts with his logical outlook on life. He was smart, too, and knew it. They had been friends for many years. He came into her life during those tough years just after Nina entered the United States. At the time, he was just a good friend of Donna’s. He turned out to be someone Nina always wanted to have in her life. He was very free with his advice, and more often than not, it was quite good. She remembered how he advised her to never take no for an answer and to stand up for herself. To Nina, this was very good advice, because she was not big on standing up for herself or confronting people.

It is amazing the way the Lord works! Nina had her share of problems with men, and trust was not at the top of her list. Over the years, Lance had proven to be a true gentleman, and in time, she had grown to trust him. Her only disappointment in him was his total disregard for God. He knew Nina was brought up in church and was a firm believer in God. Even though she had strayed from the path of righteousness, she was bent on returning to that life. Lance’s remark was always the same when the discussion about God came up. I believe there is a superior being, he would say, but I don’t know about going to church. He went on to mention how he heard his mother pray day and night for help with various problems, but nothing changed. Nina’s attempt to delve deeper into the matter went unheeded. He could not be convinced.

Of all the things Nina wanted for Lance, the biggest was for him to make God his Lord and Savior. It did not seem likely to happen, but with God, all things are possible. She would continue to pray for him. Nina still believed God had sent Lance into her life for a reason. After all, Lance was her number-one fan. He was always encouraging her to go to school and get an education. He was right there with her from beginning to end. Lance always wanted to be a teacher and had the talent for it. He mentioned it often enough. Nina looked back fondly at the many times he was there for her, helping her with her lessons. He was always available to proofread her work. He was the perfect partner. In his eyes, she could do anything, and he was there to support her.

Everyone thought Nina would marry Lance—and so did she. It was clear her marriage to Lopez had been in name only for a while. He was never around, and she and the boys had gotten used to his absence. The family was very happy, and the boys had fallen into a very nice routine. Her younger son, John, had adapted quite nicely to his new environment. He had found some Jamaican friends at his school. This made him feel more comfortable and more at peace with himself. When he first arrived in New Jersey, he was not able to read well. Lance and Nina stayed on him, and at the end of one summer, he was reading and writing very well.

Andrew, her older son, needed no help adjusting to his environment. Everything had always been easy for him. He had many friends and was at the head of his class, as usual. Andrew always had a mind of his own. He had specific colleges he wanted to attend. Nina’s suggestions did not mean much to him; he had made up his mind. Nina had only been working at the manufacturing company for a few years, and with the new house, she had to be wise in her spending. Andrew was not looking at such things; he only saw what he wanted. It was not his job to worry about finances. After all, he was the child and Nina the parent. It was her problem. Nina hoped he would become more rational in time.

Mark and the boys came back into the living room and carried the big television to the truck. Nina sat on the carpet and looked at the bare walls. She had so much fun painting them and putting up wallpaper. Everything that once was familiar and comfortable now seemed so distant. What will North Carolina be like? She wondered. She knew it would be different from New Jersey. She would need to find a new church, new doctors and a dentist, and of course, a new hairdresser. It had taken her quite a while to find an ideal hairdresser, and now she would have to start the search all over again. And she would have to adapt to new surroundings—something she did not do easily. Everything would have been so much simpler if she were twenty-five. Young people can pull up stakes and make changes at the drop of a hat. It did not seem that easy when one was fifty. This was not her first big move. She had gone through a big move when she left her home in Jamaica for the United States. I can surely do it again, especially now that I know the Lord is on my side, she thought. But Nina could not shake the nagging reminder that she was so much younger then. Buck up, Nina, she thought. Where is your faith?

Mark could not leave Jersey fast enough. Ever since they had gotten up that morning, he had been running around the house, taking care of everything. He was up at 5:00 a.m. sharp and had not stopped since. He went to the bathroom and came back all bright-eyed and cheery. Get up, honey! he had said to Nina. The big day is here.

Big for whom? Nina thought. Of all the things that could happen to a couple, Nina did not think this could be it. Who would think she would still be married and yet leaving town with Mark? He had started out rather rough, and Nina had almost given up on him many times. The turnaround he made over the last two years was nothing short of amazing. Only God could take a man so destined for destruction and turn him around into something wonderful. He had always had a beautiful heart. The problem was just with the rest of him.

Mark and Nina had been married for four years now, and of the four, only the last two had shown any semblance of what a marriage should be. The first two years were literally hell on earth. For Nina, at least, this was no exaggeration. She could not forget that Sunday five years ago in February of 2007. He walked into Deliverance United Tabernacle in Newark, New Jersey. He looked haggard and cold. Nina did not see him at first, because she always sat closer to the front of the church. As people entered the building, one had to turn around to see who entered. Nina did not want the distraction of constantly looking at who entered the church. She had promised the Lord she would serve Him with her whole heart. She wanted to do just that.

Pastor Haddon was the moderator on that particular day; he read from Malachi 3:8–12. After the prayer, he called Nina to sing while the offering was being collected. As she sang Sweep Over My Soul, she noticed the stranger watching her from the back pew. Who was this disheveled man sitting there, looking at her so intently? Nina did not have long to wait. Pastor Haddon gave him a chance to speak before he pronounced the benediction. It turned out that he was looking for someone to jumpstart his vehicle. He had slept in his truck all night and was freezing and hungry. His battery was dead, and he had no gas. He had all the signs of someone on drugs, but this was the house of the Lord. All are welcomed in God’s house. Christ came to seek and save the lost. That Sunday afternoon, Mark was the lost.

After service, Mark sat down in the church and asked if he could play the piano and sing a few songs. No one knew then he only wanted to stay for the heat. He played the piano and sang several songs, including Because He Lives. He was quite talented. He informed a few members that he had been the minister of music and lead singer of the male choir of his church. After a while, he asked if anyone could help him start his truck. Many expected him to ask for money. It had become commonplace for addicts to beg for money when they visited the church, but he did not. After a few excuses of car not running right and battery too low, Nina went over and offered to give him a boost. Two brothers followed her to his truck and assisted him; however, they were unable to start it. He came back to the church and thanked them for their help. Sister Mavis came over and invited him back for afternoon service.

Mark did come back for afternoon service; in fact, he was two hours early. He sang several church songs while Sister Mavis tried to harmonize. Nina looked on from a distance as they waited for the afternoon worship to begin. It was strange, Nina thought now, as she watched him walk around the living room—her husband. Who would have thought that the man she met in 2007 who looked like a street person would end up as her husband? After night service, Sister Mavis invited him back for the following Sunday. He promised to come and expressed his thanks for the kindness the members showed him. The next Sunday came; of course, he did not show up, but no one was surprised. Things went back to normal as if he never existed.

Imagine Nina’s surprise two weeks later when she walked into church a little late, and there was Mark, sitting at the piano. He was dressed for worship in a beige suit and looked nothing like the bum who walked in her church two weeks prior. He became a regular after that and would show up for most morning worship services. He was seldom present for afternoon services, though he promised he would be there. Pastor would give him an offering whenever he played for services. The pastor saw the need in him; Mark never went away empty-handed. He appeared to be very faithful and would dutifully show up for all the morning services. Even when he was sick, he would still try to come to church. Nina did not believe he was serious about the Lord, so she stayed out of his way. This seemed to interest him more; he would often seek to be in close proximity to her. She would promptly move away. One afternoon, he came right up to her as if to start a conversation, but all he said was hi. Nina muttered hi in return and kept moving.

Nina was doing all in her power to serve the Lord, so she tried not to show indifference to Mark. She remembered the importance of showing kindness to all. After all, the Bible said she could entertain angels unaware (Hebrews 13:2, KJV). Mark did not look like an angel, but he was a human being; as such, he should be treated with love like anyone else. How can one profess to be a Christian and not show kindness to one’s fellowman? Nina made it her business to be very polite and left it at that. She had no experience with drug addicts and did not trust Mark for a minute. The stories she had heard about drugs and what they did to people did not give her any fuzzy feelings, knowing there was an addict so close. He was attending church regularly and seemed to be doing what he was supposed to do. He even raised his hand, indicating interest in water baptism. God could do the impossible even for him, Nina thought. She could not help thinking of Lance and his inability to change his mind.

Nina was doing well at work, too; she was the facilities management supervisor in a large manufacturing company in Union, New Jersey. Her salary was quite good, and she had a few friends in her life. The Lord had brought her from a mighty long way, and she was very grateful. She was able to send money to Jamaica every month for her mother. In the church, she was a very active evangelist—ordained for almost two years. She thought nothing could go wrong with God in her life. Her sister, Patricia, had told her that once she gave her life to God again, trials would come. Nina knew that trials were supposed to make her stronger. She thought she could handle them. Her life had not been an easy one. Yet the Lord kept her when she did not acknowledge Him. How much more would He keep her now? She had changed her life and was doing everything to please Him.

Nina loved all her sisters, but she seemed to have the best relationship