That Little Thing: A Life Changing Story

By Jean Marie Desir

It was a story only God could have orchestrated. When Daniel held the hand of young Jackie during a Christian singles' conference in Atlanta, there was no denying that a spark was there. However, years later they are divorced from one another and celebrating the high school graduation of their only daught

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMD GLORIOUS THOUGHTS LLC
• Release date: Jun 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781959670179

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

The world is changing, and the devil is working overtime to make sure that he snatches as many souls as he can. Part one of this book helps to educate us about a lot of issues currently affecting our young ones, especially teenagers, and the root cause of all these issues, such as:

Why our children are having sex at such an early stage.

Why over a million teenage girls get pregnant every year.

Why we have more single parents than ever before.

Why we are failing to communicate with our children to prepare them for a better future.

How to heal from past sins and mistakes.

This part goes further to discuss deeper cases of the problems that affect our youth, and for us to understand that God loves us regardless of the mistakes that we have made and that it is not too late to turn back to him. Experience, they say, is the best teacher, but it doesn’t have to be our experience and that is why this book talks about the importance of a mentor and a role model in our lives. This book is not a novel, but it does use fictional illustrations to help pass across the message God is trying to communicate. The goal is to help young women understand how powerful they are in shaping our society. To help them use that power the way God intends, for their good, the good of their families, and the good of our world. Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).

CHAPTER ONE

NOW THAT YOU ARE IN CHRIST

T

he reconciliation between Jackie and Daniel brought tears to Ananie’s eyes. Her parents had been divorced since she was two years old; she did not get to experience her parents living together as husband and wife. Although they tried their best to raise her as co-parents, it didn’t feel the same as them living in the same house, being in love, and being as one family. The devil had taken too much of their time. If her parents had been together all those years, she would have probably had a younger brother or sister. But the devil had used anger, unforgiveness, and lies as a tool to destroy what God had planted. Ananie thanked God for the reconciliation and restoration of her family. While Daniel and Jackie hugged passionately and thanked God for what he had restored, Ananie got up from the staircase, where she had been peeking at her parents and eavesdropping on their conversation, and walked into the sitting room to join them in praising God. The three of them embraced one another. Thank you, Jackie thanked her daughter.

When Daniel had come to drop her off earlier than expected, she was scared that something had happened or maybe because Ananie had fallen sick. Little did she know that God had a surprise in store for her. It felt like a dream to Jackie. For sixteen years, she had prayed, cried, and hoped that God would restore what she had lost. That lie she had told Daniel while they were dating became her biggest mistake and regret in life, and she always prayed to God to help her; her prayers had finally been answered. Ananie broke into worship songs and her parents joined in. After they worshipped God for some time, Ananie decided to give her parents some alone time. They have been apart for a long time and needed time to themselves. It was as if they wanted to make up for their lost time in just a short period. She retired to her room for real this time, and she thanked God again before she fell asleep.

The next morning, Ananie went to her mother’s room for morning devotion. Good morning, Mom, she greeted her mother. Did dad sleep here? she asked. No dear, Jackie smiled. He left last night. You were fast asleep, and he did not want to wake you up. They held hands and began to worship God. Afterward, they studied the Bible and shared the word together. Jackie talked about the power of forgiveness and how important it is for us to forgive those who have erred against us. It is the key way to also earn forgiveness from God. Matthew 6:14-15, says, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." God also made us understand that if we have any issue with anyone, we have to reconcile first before bringing our offering to the altar (Matthew 5:23-24): "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." They thanked God again for the reconciliation of Daniel and Jackie.

When they brought the devotion to an end, Jackie thanked Ananie for the previous night. She couldn’t sleep; everything felt like a dream in her eyes, she still hadn’t completely gotten used to what had transpired the previous night. She was scared that if she slept, she would wake up and find out that it was all a dream. Her heart was filled with joy and her stomach was filled with butterflies. Stacey and Johanna would be dropping by for dinner, Jackie informed her daughter.

Since Stacey and Johanna had their new beginning, the families had become close. That evening, the two women arrived at Jackie’s home for dinner. After the meal, the four ladies talked, shared jokes, and had some laughs. After a while, Ananie and Stacey went outside to sit down and talk; Stacey had so many things to tell Ananie about her new found faith. She also had questions to ask while Jackie and Johanna sat down in the sitting room conversing. Thank you, Jackie.

Johanna smiled. They had not had time to sit down and talk about her new belief in Jesus. Since Stacey spent the weekend with you and your daughter, our lives have changed for the better. She adjusted in her seat, gently sipping a glass of grape wine from time to time. Our breakthrough came that night, and our relationship as mother and child blossomed from that day. I knew that I had not been a good mother to my daughter, but I was scared. I did not know what kind of values I would instill in her considering the fact that I did not live a good life as a teenager myself. I was ashamed of myself, but on that day she made me realize that I did not even know my child. In an attempt to shield her away from me so she wouldn’t repeat my mistakes, I didn’t realize she had gone far already. But thank God for the decision to bring her here and thank God you accepted.

Oh, Johanna, all the glory and thanks should go to God. He is the one who loved us even before we accepted him into our lives. Do you remember the kind of life we both lived when we were teenagers in high school? We did all sorts of ungodly things—things that were unpleasant in the sight of men and God but look at us now, enjoying the benefits of God in the fullness of his glory. It is this grace that we are enjoying that Jesus came to die for us to enjoy, Jackie explained, and Johanna nodded in agreement. Even after I had encountered God and met Daniel, I was scared that if I told him the truth about my past, he would leave. Instead, it was the lie I told that made him leave. In this Christian race, we have to leave no space for the devil to come in. We are humans, and we are not perfect. We have our trying times, but we should constantly ask God for his grace to keep up.

"I am sorry that even up till a few months ago, I continually judged you by your past. I thought that everything you did was a charade and that you were only calm because of what had happened in your relationship with your husband, but Stacey made me understand that it was no longer about you but the

values you had instilled in your beautiful daughter and how you have held her and taught her about life. I was busy judging and you were busy enjoying God’s love. Now I know better," she said, and Jackie smiled.

Well, I didn’t do all the work on my own. Daniel did his part as well. Even though we were not together as husband and wife, he made sure that he played his part as a father to our daughter. We practically raised our daughter together, Jackie explained.

That is nice, but it must have been tough also, considering the fact that you both were once madly in love with each other. Wasn’t it hard for you guys to see yourselves from time to time? she asked.

It was, Johanna, it definitely, was but I sourced for strength from Jesus. He is the author and finisher of my faith. There were times when I would just lie down and cry. then I would end up praying and asking the Holy Spirit to soothe my bleeding heart. I prayed for restoration and reconciliation too.

So you mean that prayers can make you desire something less when you feel lonely or heartbroken?