4 views
Under The Cover of Darkness
Born during a time when doctors and nurses were a scarcity but thank God for midwives, on a quaint island in a tiny settlement. A mother was horrified; her water bag had broken and a stingray looking creature was born and swam around in the basin. Then came her baby's face covered with a veil and fuming at the mouth, struggling to breathe. This traumatic experience caused the mother to send her baby girl to her mother on another island who cared and nutured this baby girl. Things were very grim, the baby girl suffered episodes of severe seizures and there were times when it seemed she would not survive. However, her grandmother was a praying woman who fasted and cried out to the Lord to heal and deliver this child. God heard her prayer.
The child, although small and frail, began to grow and learn. Her grandmother recognized that she was a special child, for only God could have preserved her in the womb. Soon it becane apparent that this little girl was made under the cover of darkness. Having far too many near brushes with death; suffering second to third degree burns over her back, narrowly escaping drowning and almost struck by a speeding car. The child was an introvert and seemed depressed all the time, she hardly ever smiled. As she grew older, there were more questions with no answers, but her grandmother continued to nurture and give her soecial care. Darkness seened to fill this little girl's soul and it did not matter how many times she was shiwn love, she still felt that her parents did not love her. She was angry and mostly hated herself.
She would look in the mirror and reoeatedly speak these words to the image looking back at her, "I hate you! I hate you!" Her grandmother had died and left her at an early age causing her world to crumble. This child became suicidal and attempted to take her own life. The hand of God intervened and awakened her with darkened eyes. She could not believe God had lowed her to live. She screamed, "Why God? Why did You let me live? I do not want to live!"
Not even her mother knew her true feelings as she went on existing. She became robotic and had to be told what to do and did not seem to have a mind of her own. She spoke mostly in whispers, and never spoke in her true voice. She was emotionally challenged and was not swift on learning but whatever she learned was never forgotten. Her inner struggle was not knowing herself and the purpose for being on planet earth. Everything she tried in her school life failed and prospects for attending college were nil but during her senior year in high school she attended the school's Student Christian Movement. The Word of God was sown into her heart and brought her under conviction. Upon returning home she knelt in her tiny little bedroom which she shared with her little sister and there she confessed her sins to the Lord at the tender age of sixteen. She invited Jesus to be Lord of her life! She felt like a new person and for the first time in her life she felt loved.
However, the cover of darkness over her life remained for she began to lose her eyesight rapidly and could not bear the sunlight. After a visit to the ophthalmologist, a pair of strong prescription glasses were prescribed but her eyesight continued to deteriorate to the point where she slept in her glasses. She began to pray and cry out to God. Anger filled her soul as the darkness tried to destroy her witness for Jesus Christ. One day, she could not spend another minute of the suffering.
She ran outside into the yard and looked up at the sky and shouted, "God, Why? Why am I living?"
Her mother warned, "Child, do not talk to God like that, He could strike you down!" But she did not seem frightened for she was slipping inder the cover of darkness. Her mother prayed for her one Sinday afternoon and something unusual happened, beautiful singing echoed into her bedroom from down the street. The music drew her out into the yard where she moved to follow the music which led to a street meeting.
Immediately, when the Evangelist saw her, she was called up and life and healing was ministered to her with this question, "Do you believe that God can heal your eyes?"
Her response was, "I believe!"
On her way home, her faith to believe God was put to the test as she could not see her way home. Everything was blurred, but her faith quickened and she stood on the Word of God from the book of Isaiah chapter 53 verse 5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." She made it personal and made it home safely. However, it would be an uphill battle for her because her parents, who were not saved at the time, could not understand why she was not wearing her glasses. Sometimes healing does not happen instantaneously but gradually, hers was a gradual one.
The cover of darkness was lifting but there were many dark secrets hidden in the heart. Which is a reminder of how one can be saved but not yet delivered. Anger and unforgiveness remained, but Jehovah El Roi, the God who sees, saw within this vessel, marred by circumstances of her birth, something so precious He had placed within her while she was in her mother's womb. He was working in the chambers of her heart. This fine young woman was about to embark upon a life transforming journey that would uncover the darkness in an adventurous, upward life changing walk of faith and obedience.
An avid church goer, she had joined the choir but did not realize it would change the course of her life. One evening, at choir practice she found the entire church in complete darkness and the doors locked. Filled with disappointment, she decided to return home by a diffetent road. She thought to stop at a convenient store for some candies.
As she stepped through the door, electeicity filled the room, it was a moment like no other. A young man reached over the counter, his hand extended as he introduced himself. No sooner did her hands become clasped in his, she knew he was her soul mate; he had touched her soul, but she forgot. She was a teenager and too young to marry. Her plan was to keep this young man a secret from her parents. However, it all backfired when the gentleman showed up at her home with a letter for her hand in marriage which turned everything upside down for this young woman.
This was not what her parents had planned for her. They preferred their daughter to attend college and have a career. Her mother gently asked the young lady if she loved him and reminded her that she was not of age to marry and what would she do about him. Her mother was a praying woman and sought the face of the Lord concerning this dilemma. God answered her mother with divine revelation, this young man was the husband for her daughter but her father was furious. Could she keep her father from discovering that she was secretly writing love letters to her expectant husband until she became of age to marry him? She cleverly received his letters but discarded each one so her dad would not find out, but he found out and at the age of seventeen she had to oeave home to live with one of her aunts.
This was a very difficult time, she felt devastated being separated from her family and not being able to communicate with any of them. She suffered nightmares and endured much pain as the darkness threatened to invade her soul. She was all alone with no one to turn to but God, who stood with her and navigated her under the cover of darkness.
© Margaret C. Mullings
The child, although small and frail, began to grow and learn. Her grandmother recognized that she was a special child, for only God could have preserved her in the womb. Soon it becane apparent that this little girl was made under the cover of darkness. Having far too many near brushes with death; suffering second to third degree burns over her back, narrowly escaping drowning and almost struck by a speeding car. The child was an introvert and seemed depressed all the time, she hardly ever smiled. As she grew older, there were more questions with no answers, but her grandmother continued to nurture and give her soecial care. Darkness seened to fill this little girl's soul and it did not matter how many times she was shiwn love, she still felt that her parents did not love her. She was angry and mostly hated herself.
She would look in the mirror and reoeatedly speak these words to the image looking back at her, "I hate you! I hate you!" Her grandmother had died and left her at an early age causing her world to crumble. This child became suicidal and attempted to take her own life. The hand of God intervened and awakened her with darkened eyes. She could not believe God had lowed her to live. She screamed, "Why God? Why did You let me live? I do not want to live!"
Not even her mother knew her true feelings as she went on existing. She became robotic and had to be told what to do and did not seem to have a mind of her own. She spoke mostly in whispers, and never spoke in her true voice. She was emotionally challenged and was not swift on learning but whatever she learned was never forgotten. Her inner struggle was not knowing herself and the purpose for being on planet earth. Everything she tried in her school life failed and prospects for attending college were nil but during her senior year in high school she attended the school's Student Christian Movement. The Word of God was sown into her heart and brought her under conviction. Upon returning home she knelt in her tiny little bedroom which she shared with her little sister and there she confessed her sins to the Lord at the tender age of sixteen. She invited Jesus to be Lord of her life! She felt like a new person and for the first time in her life she felt loved.
However, the cover of darkness over her life remained for she began to lose her eyesight rapidly and could not bear the sunlight. After a visit to the ophthalmologist, a pair of strong prescription glasses were prescribed but her eyesight continued to deteriorate to the point where she slept in her glasses. She began to pray and cry out to God. Anger filled her soul as the darkness tried to destroy her witness for Jesus Christ. One day, she could not spend another minute of the suffering.
She ran outside into the yard and looked up at the sky and shouted, "God, Why? Why am I living?"
Her mother warned, "Child, do not talk to God like that, He could strike you down!" But she did not seem frightened for she was slipping inder the cover of darkness. Her mother prayed for her one Sinday afternoon and something unusual happened, beautiful singing echoed into her bedroom from down the street. The music drew her out into the yard where she moved to follow the music which led to a street meeting.
Immediately, when the Evangelist saw her, she was called up and life and healing was ministered to her with this question, "Do you believe that God can heal your eyes?"
Her response was, "I believe!"
On her way home, her faith to believe God was put to the test as she could not see her way home. Everything was blurred, but her faith quickened and she stood on the Word of God from the book of Isaiah chapter 53 verse 5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." She made it personal and made it home safely. However, it would be an uphill battle for her because her parents, who were not saved at the time, could not understand why she was not wearing her glasses. Sometimes healing does not happen instantaneously but gradually, hers was a gradual one.
The cover of darkness was lifting but there were many dark secrets hidden in the heart. Which is a reminder of how one can be saved but not yet delivered. Anger and unforgiveness remained, but Jehovah El Roi, the God who sees, saw within this vessel, marred by circumstances of her birth, something so precious He had placed within her while she was in her mother's womb. He was working in the chambers of her heart. This fine young woman was about to embark upon a life transforming journey that would uncover the darkness in an adventurous, upward life changing walk of faith and obedience.
An avid church goer, she had joined the choir but did not realize it would change the course of her life. One evening, at choir practice she found the entire church in complete darkness and the doors locked. Filled with disappointment, she decided to return home by a diffetent road. She thought to stop at a convenient store for some candies.
As she stepped through the door, electeicity filled the room, it was a moment like no other. A young man reached over the counter, his hand extended as he introduced himself. No sooner did her hands become clasped in his, she knew he was her soul mate; he had touched her soul, but she forgot. She was a teenager and too young to marry. Her plan was to keep this young man a secret from her parents. However, it all backfired when the gentleman showed up at her home with a letter for her hand in marriage which turned everything upside down for this young woman.
This was not what her parents had planned for her. They preferred their daughter to attend college and have a career. Her mother gently asked the young lady if she loved him and reminded her that she was not of age to marry and what would she do about him. Her mother was a praying woman and sought the face of the Lord concerning this dilemma. God answered her mother with divine revelation, this young man was the husband for her daughter but her father was furious. Could she keep her father from discovering that she was secretly writing love letters to her expectant husband until she became of age to marry him? She cleverly received his letters but discarded each one so her dad would not find out, but he found out and at the age of seventeen she had to oeave home to live with one of her aunts.
This was a very difficult time, she felt devastated being separated from her family and not being able to communicate with any of them. She suffered nightmares and endured much pain as the darkness threatened to invade her soul. She was all alone with no one to turn to but God, who stood with her and navigated her under the cover of darkness.
© Margaret C. Mullings
