Silent Cry, Loud Echo: God Heard Me

By Dr. Selene Maya Author

Even when it seems like we are all alone, God is always with us.

That is the central message in this memoir by Dr. Selene Maya Author, who was born the youngest of ten children in a Hindu home in Guyana, South America.
She and her siblings grow up living off the land, and she develops a passion for true healing during her adolescent years, working to find answers for herself, her family, and society at large.
At age fourteen, she immigrates to the United States of America, and it isn’t long before she is working two jobs, including at a department store.
She thinks nothing of it when the store manager—also from Guyana—befriends her, but it’s all a ploy so he can brutally rape her when he gets her alone. From that day on, work is a degrading and humiliating experience.
For years, she suffers from low self-esteem and feels alone, but when all hope seems lost, she cries out to Jesus. He hears her cry and retrieves her from a lonely place to set her feet on solid rock.
Join the author on a real-life Cinderella story that shows the power of perseverance, family, faith, and prayer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781480859593

Dr. Selene Maya Author

Dr. Selene Maya Author, DNM, M.H, CNHP, is a Motivational Speaker, Evangelist, Doctor of Natural Medicine, Advocate of various social causes, and Founder of Silent Cry Loud Echo Ministry. Dr. Author frequently travel to various Countries and States to speak to youth groups, young adults, entrepreneurs, men and women about using intentional well being strategies and spiritual awakening to create a desired life.  She speaks on topics that elevates thoughts to help people overcome emotional pain, mental and physical abuse, as well as spiritual weakness and growth.   With a fervent focus, Dr. Author dazzles her audiences with infectious energy and fascinating story telling that illustrates the power of belief in overcoming through her humble beginnings in Guyana South America, where she was born, prosperity in America, painful and abusive marriage, and purposeful ministry.  Dr. Maya has a particular passion to speak to the nation's regarding domestic violence, child abuse, Poverty and the devastating impact these issues have on families, communities, and the world at large.  Her speeches are life-altering and penetrates the soul, refreshes the spirit, and influences an elevating shift in the minds of her audience. Dr. Selene has preached at numerous churches and served as the keynote speaker at women’s empowerment conferences and retreats, among other venues.  She has been interviewed on several radio shows to discuss her books and the healing powers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which  she has used to liberate people from the prison of their minds, from the emotions of their heart, from physical temptations, and spiritual  strongholds.  She is the author of, “Silent Cry Loud Echo God Heard Me” and “I Placed My Hands In His 40 Days Of Devotion.” Dr. Maya will soon release her newest book, "Between Hopelessness And Survival." She is also a member of the American Naturopathic Medical Certification Board and a board-Certified Doctor of Natural Medicine, and a Master Herbalist.  She has over 25-years of experience using natural plant base food supplements, minerals, and vitamins to assist clients in healing the body for a healthier lifestyle.  Dr. Selene Maya Author is also a graduate of Trinity College of Natural Health and is a member of the Institute of the National Association of Certified Natural Health Professionals.  When Dr. Author is not speaking, writing, or evangelizing, she coaches and provides health consults and plans using holistic therapies, homeopathic remedies and natural food supplements in combination with nutritional and lifestyle counseling to address the full dynamics of Individuals Health Care.  She also volunteers within and beyond U.S. Borders.  As a result of her philanthropic endeavors to build water wells for a clean water supply in South America, Dr. Author received the prestigious Synergy International Humanitarian Award in 2014. Selene is a stalwart voice of faith and Inspiration.   She is often quoted as saying, "Because of the Genius of our Creator through Jesus Christ the body has the ability to heal itself”! 

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Copyright © 2018 Dr. Selene M. Author.

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 author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-5958-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-5957-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-5959-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018902568

Archway Publishing rev. date: 05/11/2018

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 Little Darling

2 Broken

3 The Cry

4 Peace in the Garden

5 She Danced on Autumn Leaves

6 Picture on the Mantle

7 My Darkest Day

8 One Last Chance

9 My Cinderella Wedding

10 Our Trip to the Middle East

11 The Picture on the Mantle Came Alive

12 Shattered Glass Slippers

13 Behind the Mask

About the Author

To the nations of the world:

Your silent cry has created a loud echo in heaven. God has heard you. I know that there are men, women, and children going through pain and suffering while feeling alone, abandoned, battered, and as if their dreams have been shattered. Dear people of the world’s nations, I know you feel no one hears you or cares about your struggles. I want you to know that inside every one of us is an overcomer, not just a survivor. Never give up! Learn to see yourself the way God sees you, and remind yourself daily of who you are in Christ.

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To my darling children:

I love you. You are my gifts. I am humbled and grateful to be your mother. You have inspired me to persevere through life’s difficulties. I thank God for you. I am proud of you and who you have become as adults. It is an honor to learn and grow with you as we take this journey through life together. My darlings, I pray for you daily that God’s purpose will manifest itself in your lives. This rose is for you, my beloveds.

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In loving memory of

my mother and my father:

Mom, you struggled to raise ten children, yet you persevered. You never gave up on any of us, and at the end of your life, you remained loyal to all of your children. I remember you sacrificing yourself for us, and I feel blessed and honored to be your daughter. I understand now why you gave up your personal life, even though you were still a young woman. You never got a chance to attend school. You could not read or write; but still, you succeeded. You always told me to follow my dreams, although you laid aside your own dreams to raise your family. You worked hard for all you had. Yet unselfishly, you gave it all to us.

I believe that the greatest gifts you ever gave me were love, hope, courage, and strength. Mother, for every dream you sacrificed, another dream has come to life in me. Your love for gardenias was obvious to all who knew you. If I could, I would have planted you a field of the fragrant flowers you loved so dearly, but for now here’s to you, Mother. One single rose! I love you.

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Dad, you were the runaway boy from a very early age. You went from family to family for a place to lay your head. Some were kind, and others not so welcoming. Yet you managed to survive. Life dealt you a hand of struggle as a boy, but you were positive, and never once did I hear you complain or feel sorry for yourself.

I am grieved that your mother died in childbirth. My heart aches knowing that you missed that first genuine caress, and yet you still managed to shine! I’m sorry your father was an alcoholic, which forced you to have to raise yourself, yet you triumphed anyway. Your love was exceptionally rare, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Your faith, understanding, patience, and courage continue to amaze me to this day, Charles D. Author. I’m proud to be your daughter.

Daddy, I truly love and miss you.

You’ve finally gotten your wings.

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PREFACE

Jeremiah 29:11 reads, For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God has a plan for you and for your life, and He will see you through your difficulties. Sometimes things happen to us—things we have no control over. We find ourselves stripped to the core of who we are.

The moment you look around and feel that there is nothing left and nowhere to turn, please remember that this too shall pass. Only you can choose where you let your thoughts lead you. I pray that you hold onto the possibilities in your future. Only you have the choice to keep moving forward. Yes, we will all have awful days, and there will be deserts to cross in life. But there will also be unexpected oases hidden in those barren places that arise when we least expect them. Let your story become your testimony of how great and good God is. You are not alone in your struggles!

I pray that as you read this book, you will experience a true and real manifestation of the power of Jesus Christ. I pray that the fire of God will fall upon you and that you will give birth to your gifts and true calling in Jesus’s name.

Jeremiah 17:7–8 reads, Blessed are those who trust in the Lord … they are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the fear nor worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and go right on producing delicious fruit.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Barbara Samaroo, thank you for over thirty years of friendship. There are not enough words to describe what our relationship means to me. We have gone through so much together, and I love and appreciate you. I look forward to many more years of friendship together.

Pastors Randy and Mano Gurley, thank you for showing true agape love and patience to my children and me. My life was forever changed for the better after having met you, and I am so blessed to have you both in my life.

Pat and John, you have exemplified the true characteristics of Jesus Christ. I am honored and grateful that God has placed you in my life. You are genuine, loyal, and consistent in every way. I pray for abundant blessings for you both. Thank you for being there for me.

Elder Hawkins, my spiritual father, thank you for covering me with your wisdom. I cannot count the ways you have been there for me. I’m especially grateful for the time you have invested in me. Thank you for seeing in me what I could not see in myself. I thank God that He has gifted me with you. I love and appreciate you.

Thank you also to Robbie Sines. I am proud of you and the growth that I have seen through the past five years. Continue to do great things in Jesus’s name.

Thank you, Michael Kent, for your support. I know without a doubt God has placed you in my life for such a time as this. I look forward to a lifetime of friendship.

My sincerest thoughts and appreciation goes out to Homer Frye, for your encouragement and for being there for me when I need a listening ear. I love and appreciate you. God bless you.

Thank you, Tonia Williams, for all the long hours of editing with me. You are a good sister. I appreciate and love you.

To my amazing and beautiful assistant, Kyra Williams, I thank you for your encouragement, love, and dedication. I love and appreciate you. You were sent into my life as a lighthouse. I pray God pours his blessing upon you in abundance.

Sherrese Russell, I thank God He sent you into my life. Your love, loyalty, and dedication touch my heart, and I am blessed with your presence. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the long hours you put into this book. I love you, and I pray God’s abundant blessings upon your life.

Mike and Elembert Richardson, I am grateful for your love and faithfulness. You are the family God has blessed me with, and I love you. My sincerest thanks to you both. May God richly bless you and your family.

To Sarah Forbes, with whom there was a bond from the very first moment we met. You are my angel, and I wish that we could have had more time together. However, I am grateful for the time we did share, and I know that we shall meet again. I love you, Sarah, and I miss you more than words can express.

I love and appreciate all my extended Bahamian family, including Jim and Leanna Hynson and Dr. Winston Forbes. I thank you all so very much.

Pastor Forbes, God has strategically placed you in my life for a purpose, and I am thankful for you and your beautiful wife. God bless you all.

I am fortunate to have many family and friends near and far, whose names I have not mentioned, who have supported and cared for me through this process. I love you all so much. I am honored to have you all in my life. I thank you for your love and continued support. I am blessed to have each of you as a part of my life’s journey, and I appreciate the gift I have in each and every one of you.

I pray God’s blessings upon all of you, in the name of Jesus.

INTRODUCTION

Jesus is our intercessor, and He sits at the right hand of the Father. He hears our cries and wants to do great things in our lives. He died for us and entered into heaven to appear in the presence of God for us. He loves us.

He is raising up an army, and I urge you to become a part of this great army. Do not underestimate the power of Jesus Christ. It is time to be about the kingdom’s business. We are not living in a time to be playing games. We are either for Him or against Him. The question to ask yourself is, How desperate am I for Jesus? We all have a heavenly purpose in this life.

John 14:12 says, Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

I urge you to consider a great woman of God, Kathryn Kuhlman. Her life confirmed God’s word with signs and wonders. Likewise, ponder on Smith Wigglesworth, a man God raised up through tests and trials to be a worldwide evangelist whom God used to heal the sick and raise the dead.

Remember, God is not a respecter of persons. What He does for one, He can do for another. Be open and allow Him to use you for His glory. Don’t focus on where you are or the pain you have been through. We were made in His image. There is a greater plan for your life. Forgive your enemies and focus on where you are going with God, not where you have been. God is longing to heal you mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

I am presenting this book to you as a living testament of what God can do when you totally surrender your life to Him. My past pains and trials have now become my purpose and my testimony. I give God all the glory and honor for everything I have been through that made me who I am in Him today. In spite of our circumstances, we must always keep our eyes on Almighty God and believe that our faith will unleash a wonderful world of power, possibility, and promise. Jesus tells us, Fear not, little flock. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. We must put our faith in God and believe that He has a plan for us—a good plan.

I was born in a Hindu home and married a Muslim. I was raped, abandoned, misused, and abused; I was beset upon physically, mentally, and emotionally. For years I was devoid of self-worth and often felt alone, as if no one cared whether I lived or died. Just when I thought all shred of hope was gone, I called out to Jesus, and He heard my cry. He retrieved me from a lonely place and set my feet on solid rock.

Someone said, Man with himself as a partner is a fool, but with God, he is a majority. We gain strength, courage, and confidence each time we are compelled to stop and look fear in the face. We must do that which we think we cannot. I recall times when I had to make difficult decisions throughout my life, such as leaving my father and country behind or navigating other life-changing encounters. The fear of those changes almost crippled me. It was then that I thought of Jesus and was reminded of His words. I said to God, If I can only hang on to the hem of your garment, I know I will be fine.

I challenge you to sustain yourself through hardships while making a conscious decision not to surrender, realizing that your breakthrough is on the cusp. Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles during the direst times develop your strengths. Only through the fiery furnace of trial and suffering can the soul gain strength, ambition, and success. God must be at the center of it all.

We can be tired, weary, and emotionally distraught, but after spending time with God, we will find that He injects into our souls what we need to sustain us. John 15:5–7 says, He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my word abides in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.

Throughout my life, I have endured many toils and strains. My experiences and subsequent salvation gave birth to Silent Cry, Loud Echo: God Heard Me.

My purpose in writing this book is to bring the hope of a living and saving God to all. You must believe that no pit is so deep that Jesus could not rescue you from it. You are not a mistake, nor are you here as a mistake. We cannot be both pitiful and powerful in our condition at the same time. As I bare my heart and soul to you in this book, I pray that you will receive me with love and acceptance and that we will each continue to learn and grow from life’s endeavors and encounters.

I pray that you will find the inner courage to stay focused and that you will trust God to do great things in your life, regardless of the circumstances. May the Lord bless you with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and may the power of God fall upon you, change you into His image, and open your ears so that you can hear His voice clearly. I pray this in Jesus’s name.

1

LITTLE DARLING

I was born Selene Maya Author, also known as Little Darling, to my parents on July 16, 1967, in Guyana, South America. I am the youngest of ten children who were raised by my father, Charles D. Author, and my mother, Bindi Vashti.

Before I was born, my father worked as a businessman and lived apart from my mother. According to their the story of how their relationship unfolded, it was a love story from their first encounter. My father was a well-known businessman in town and knew everyone in his small community. He was especially known for his humanitarian attributes. Father would take a stranger into his own home without any questions asked. His famous saying was, To those who much is given, much is required. My father was an influential and wise man; gracious and well rounded, he also had an affinity for beautiful women. He met my mother in the town where his business was located. She was seeking employment but had neither a formal education nor business skills. Mother was limited because she had never previously worked outside of the home. Yet she was willing to put in the effort to learn whatever it took to provide for her family. Since Mom had fled from the clutches of an abusive man, she was desperate for an opportunity to earn income.

Mom had absolutely no one to turn to until she crossed the path of her handsome hero, my father. She simply needed a job—any kind of job—and he astutely saw her desperation. My father felt so much compassion for this woman who stood before him in an old dress surrounded by her massive family. She was in dire need of financial assistance, housing, and the security of knowing that her family would be taken care of in a strange new town—a town frequently heard of as being unsafe for a woman to wander around alone. It was a town predominately run by men. My mother had no idea where she could turn, as she had been exhausted from the journey to this new place. She and her seven children were hungry, tired, and needed shelter. She walked around for hours, and no one paid any attention to her or her children. Some even frowned upon her. Bindi Vashti did not let this discourage her; she was prepared to sleep on the sidewalk with her children just to have peace of mind. To this day I am amazed when I think of my mother and her situation. I believe she was totally overwhelmed when she met this kind, handsome stranger who would later become my father. She said she knew my father was a good man from the instant they met, and she trusted the inner peace she felt with him. He made her feel safe and protected. For once in Mother’s life, she could relax, knowing there was finally someone she could count on. Father had that ability to make a person feel safe at the instant of meeting him. He was always positive and saw the good in everyone. He definitely saw hope and a bright future for Mother and her children.

Thereafter, she confided her innermost torment in great detail to this curious, charming gentleman who listened intently to her story. My mother had never encountered such attentiveness in a man before and was naturally curious about how a life without abuse would be. Since my father was an orphan himself, he had great compassion for children in need. He immediately took to Mother and her children and was kind to them. He must have remembered his time in the orphanage and could not allow another child to endure the pain and suffering he had endured as a child. Father always said orphanages were not very kind. As for Mother, she would have given her life for her children. None of us would have ended up in an orphanage as long as Mother still had breath in her body.

Through later conversations with my father, he recounted this first meeting with Mother. You should have seen the expression on his face, one of love and compassion. He grinned from ear to ear, as his face lit up with joy. He said, She was poorly dressed, seven children by her side, and no money to her name, yet I knew that I could not walk away from this family. I believed we were destined to meet. It was all a part of God’s plan.

Although he already had a wife, he took a chance in establishing an additional relationship with my mother. Back in those days, it was acceptable to have two wives. Though some men have their wives in the same house, Mother could not live that way. She needed her own quarters, and Father obliged.

He could not bear to see my mother go in need, and he had no problem helping the eight of them. My father was a good and kindhearted man. Whatever Mother needed, he tried his best to provide. He made great sacrifices in taking care of her and her children during a time when life was difficult in Guyana. My father told me that meeting Mother was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He loved her dearly and planned to have a family with her. Mother eventually bore three children for him—two girls and one boy—who became the joys of his life. To hear him tell his story, he would say that Mother gave him ten precious children, and if he had a choice to relive his life, he would choose Mother and the ten of us all over again.

My father was grateful for his extended family and worked extra hours to provide for all of us. He told us our mother worked harder than any woman he’d ever known. Father recognized her ambitious attributes and inherently knew she would not remain in poverty for too long. He also told me that Mother was the only woman he ever truly loved. My mother was a stunning woman, and her natural beauty was evident at first glance. She appeared striking in spite of her tattered, cheap, and old-fashioned attire. Subsequently, he showed kindness by not only helping her obtain housing and food for her children but also by rendering his expertise for organizing her small retail business. My father was a merchant and knew the ins and outs of marketing. He assured her that he would assist her in achieving her goals. Father invested time teaching her and ultimately helped her obtain her own small retail business.

Despite my father’s assistance, my mother struggled to make ends meet. Around the time Mother fled from her abusive husband, our country was experiencing great economic, political, and social strains as a result of the depression and droughts that plagued our country. These times were described as the dark days of the sixties. Violence stalked the streets night and day. No one was free to walk the streets without fear for their lives. In spite of these dire circumstances, Mother knew she had to work in order to