Hope And Prayer Changed Everything Within One Year

I went to bed each night contemplating what the next day would bring. I was a troubled man, and it was evident in every aspect of my life—my demeanor, my thought processes, and my interactions with others. My mind was constantly preoccupied with things that didn’t exist. At one point, I reached out to a longtime friend for assistance. We spoke, and I shared everything with him. He reassured me, saying, “Don’t worry. Call me next week at the same time, and I’ll help you out.” The following week, I called, but my calls went unanswered. “Maybe he’s busy; I’ll wait until evening,” I thought. I called again that evening and the next day, but he still didn’t answer or return my calls. I took the hint and stopped trying.

One evening, I noticed my wife on the phone. She said, “He lost his job last month. He’s been trying, but nothing is working. And with schools on break, I’m not receiving a salary.” I didn’t catch the response from the other end, but my wife continued, “We need help. I’m about to deliver, and I don’t want us to be stranded, which is why I’m reaching out.” Before hanging up, she added, “Thank you. I’ll be waiting.”

I asked, “Who were you talking to?” She sighed and I pressed, “Was that your mother?” She replied, “Since you don’t want me to tell her anything, I decided to speak to my father.” I inquired, “What did he say?” She responded, “He said he’ll send me something tomorrow.” Shortly after, her mother called. My wife suspected her dad had informed her, and when she answered, her mother immediately asked, “Why haven’t you told me all this time?” My wife explained, “We thought we could manage.” Her mother insisted, “I’ll come for you tomorrow. You’re about to deliver, and you need help.”

After the call, I told my wife, “That sounds like a good plan. You’ll be fine with her, and I’ll visit often.” She asked, “What about you?” I replied, “I’m a man; I’ll figure it out.” The next day, her father called, saying, “You’re not going there to deliver. Stay with your husband. After the delivery, your mother can come around. It’s your first child; you both need that experience.”

One evening in June, my wife said, “I’m not feeling well. My abdomen feels like the baby is coming.” She couldn’t sit or lie down and kept pacing until I suggested, “Let’s go to the hospital.” We walked to the station and caught a car to the hospital, where they took her in immediately to prepare for delivery. I called her father to inform him, “She’s due; I brought her to the hospital.” He replied, “Really? Let me know when she finally delivers.” Moments later, her mother called. I answered her phone and she asked, “I heard your wife is due. Which hospital are you in?” I told her, and she said, “I’m on my way.”

She arrived just in time. When the nurses presented us with items to purchase, she accompanied me to the dispensary and paid for them. Later that night, my wife gave birth to a baby boy. When she was discharged, her mother covered the bill for us.

While waiting for my wife to deliver, we had a lot of conversations. Surprisingly, she was very friendly. She inquired about my job situation, and I shared everything. She asked, “How are your parents handling this? I hope they’re not adding to your burdens?” I replied, “They understand.” She said, “Good. If you need anything, let us know. I know it’s tough, but talk to us. You have our daughter, so we’re family now. Don’t hesitate to ask; we’ll be there for you.”

For the next four months, she stayed with us, helping with the baby and the household finances. I didn’t rest; I kept reaching out to people who might help me find another job. They all made promises, but nothing materialized. One evening, I called our senior pastor and shared my situation. He expressed his sympathy and said, “I’ll pray for you and speak to people on your behalf. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know.”

We lived in uncertainty until around December when our pastor called. He said, “Someone wants to help. He asked you to call him. Reach out and let me know what happens.” He provided me with the number, and I called. The man asked, “It’s an estate job; can you handle it?” I replied, “Yes, I can.” He inquired, “Have you done that kind of work before?” I explained, “I was a hotel manager, overseeing room and building maintenance, so I believe I can manage in an estate firm.” He said, “Send your CV, and we’ll see.” I sent it that same day but didn’t hear back until February of this year.

When he called, he said, “I’ve done my part. You’ll have an interview with the HR department. If you impress them, I know you’ll get the job.” I thought to myself, “But I thought you were supposed to give me the job?” I prayed about it, and on the day of the interview, I sat before the panel and answered all questions to the best of my ability. A week later, I received a call: “Congratulations, you got the job.” You should have seen my reaction at home—I jumped, fell to the ground, prayed, and thanked God. My wife simply said, “Things are getting better; we praise God.”

When school reopened, my wife returned to work as if nothing had happened. Through all of this, I learned an important lesson: to improve myself daily through skill development. When everything fell apart, I realized that if I had other skills, I could have survived. Now, I’m learning new things, and my wife has started taking courses. We’re determined to be better than we were in the past.

–Arthur

Do you have any relationship experiences to share? Email it to editors@etechx.co.ke

NOTE: NO PART OF THIS CONTENT CAN BE REPUBLISHED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPLICIT CONSENT OF THE EDITORS OF THIS BLOG.