Mama says

We do have God's promises and His ability to see us through anything and everything. But when your courage flags, the problem isn't your immediate response; it is how you deal with the attack in the long run. Your choices determine your future. Read this story about Kevin and how he coped with the unexpected situation in his life.

Kevin and Melanie lived on the north side of Chicago. They were married for five years. She was a dental hygienist and he had a degree in advertising, but had not found a job in his field. They were members of a small Pentecostal church and were faithful in their service. Actually, it was Melanie who had been instrumental in convincing her husband to get serious about the things of God. They had been believing God for a baby, but had not conceived. Kevin had searched tirelessly for an advertising position, but was forced to take menial jobs, simply to help provide for the household. Although their prayers seemed to be on hold, Melanie knew that God would come through for them.

Sure enough, the following month, the pregnancy test said positive. They were going to have a baby. Kevin worried that his present job was not going to be able to afford his wife the luxury of staying home to care for the baby. He had applied everywhere in the Chicago area. Now he had resorted to looking anywhere. He was even willing to relocate, so that Melanie could enjoy raising their baby at home.

The pregnancy was going smoothly and Melanie was in her last trimester, when Kevin got a call from an advertising agency in Atlanta, Ga. They wanted to interview him via Skype. He was afraid to get his hopes up because he had been disappointed so many times. The day came and the interview went well. He heard nothing for two weeks. Then, he got the call. They wanted him to come to Atlanta for a face-to-face interview. Wow, this meant they were seriously interested in him.

When he got to the interview, they told him that he had the job; they just wanted him to look around and to be sure that he wanted to relocate to Atlanta. Someone took him on a tour of the Atlanta area and showed him some houses in the suburbs. He immediately called Melanie, to not only tell her about the job, but that there they could even afford to buy a house. He told her he had seen one that would meet their needs and was so reasonable that he was afraid to come home without buying it. He sent her pictures of the house and she agreed. He signed the papers and headed back to Chicago. When God moves, He leaves no stone unturned. He had the job of his dreams, an actual house, not an apartment, and they were moving to Atlanta in six weeks.

Kevin was excited. The movers had already taken everything out of the apartment. He felt so blessed to have been given this new job. He thought, "God, you are awesome. All of my prayers are finally being answered." Melanie was on her way, he had to leave without her because her doctor needed to check her one more time before allowing her to travel this late in her pregnancy. The baby was due next month. Wow, it seemed everything was happening at once. This had to be God.

As he walked into his new office, the telephone rang. He picked up the phone and heard a familiar voice on the other end. His mother-in-law was practically screaming in his ear and he couldn't make out what she was saying. He just heard, "Melanie." He finally got her to calm down enough to hear that Melanie was dead. No, he couldn't have heard right. By now, she was on the plane. Her mother said that Melanie had been shot by a drive by shooting as she left the doctor's office. She was killed instantly, but they managed to save the baby.

In one split second, the excitement he had been experiencing had turned to confusion, then anger, fear and now he was just numb. He heard someone screaming and moaning, looked around to see who else was in the room with him, and realized that those almost animal like sounds were coming from him. I don't understand. This isn't the way it's supposed to be.

At the heart of our pain, in times like these, is the loss of control. We finally realize there is absolutely nothing we can do. Kevin was a Christian. He believed like his church had taught, that once he received Christ, life would be completely pain free. God would take care of everything and meet all his needs. All he had to do was show up at church regularly. Kevin had not received the truth. You and I know hardship befalls everyone. Actually, you need some suffering in order to escape an undernourished soul.