The Other Side of the Story

Introduction
After an hour and a half, the jury returned with the verdict. My heart began to pump cold blood through my veins as anxiety overwhelmed me. I wanted to go into the courtroom and hear the verdict, but fear grasped me and weakened my innermost being, the part that kept me sane. My body began to weaken like a flower deprived of water. Given the sick feeling in my gut, it was to my advantage that the investigator had me go sit in the waiting room. It was almost as if she felt my pulse racing—as if she could read my mind.
While my son, daughters, and I waited for the verdict, we prayed. As we sat in dead silence, I noticed the uneasiness of my youngest daughter. I could not quite read her true feelings, but I knew something was wrong. As I observed her, she stood and then bolted out of the room. Concerned, I asked the investigator to go find her and check on her. When the investigator came back, she informed me that she was fine. The investigator then went to sit in the courtroom to hear the verdict. I sat at the edge of my seat while my eldest daughter cried, “I know it is not guilty! I know it is not guilty.” A few minutes later, I noticed the doorknob turning, and my heart began to beat like never before.
The investigator opened the door.
 
Chapter 1
The Story of Job

Have you ever encountered events in your life that were devastating and seemed to never end? Or just one event where you almost lost your mind? And not only did you almost lose your mind, but you also almost lost, or did lose, your material possessions and close friends or family members, experienced a change in your relationships, or spent your entire life savings? For some reason, though, you still remained faithful to God, and because of your faithfulness, you were able to regroup, recover, and rebuild.
Some of you might be still going through such an event, but think about the story of Job. He lost his material possessions and his sons and daughters. He even became ill, and his wife said, “Curse God and die!” But Job recovered because of his faithfulness to God.
Job’s faith was tested, and he passed the test by remaining faithful. Our faith is also tested. The question is, can we pass the test? As human beings, it is natural for us to become weak in a moment of despair. We can’t think straight or even ask God why something is happening.
Each one of us has a test prepared specifically for us, and each one of us will pass through the test in a different way. I can’t stand your test, and you can’t stand mine. The saying “God won’t give you more than you can bear” derives from 1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (KJV).
When you trust and believe in God, the situation does come to an end. I am telling you something I know and have experienced. Here is my story.
Chapter 2
Academics and Life Education

In August, my husband and I traveled about six hundred miles to drop off my oldest daughter at college. I had mixed feelings about leaving my firstborn in a small town far away from home.
After we arrived, we helped her unpack and settle into her dorm. We then said farewell without any emotion. As we drove off to travel back home, it hit me that I had just left a wonderful young lady to begin her life. She was not my baby anymore. The tears began to flow, but I didn’t want my husband to see me crying.
Just as I was about to really start wailing, my phone rang. It was my daughter. “Mama, I forgot my phone charger in the car.” That ended my outburst of tears. We turned around and dropped off her phone charger. I knew that God wanted me to drive off this time happy and not sad. Life can be so funny.
On August 26, everything was fine—at least I thought so. God had blessed my youngest daughter with getting into the middle school of her choice. While driving home from work, I began to reflect on my day. I was excited and thankful for my blessings. But then an unusual thought came to my mind: today is too perfect. I had a gut instinct that something was wrong.
My phone rang. It was my youngest daughter with some unbelievable news about a shameful allegation against my husband that didn’t fit his character. Although the thought occurred in the back of my mind that there was a possibility it was true, my husband was always serving and loving God and his family. That was enough to relieve my doubt, so the allegation did not make sense.
This allegation turned my life into turmoil. Everything began to fall apart. I felt conquered. Or was it a test of my faith? I didn’t understand. I was doing everything I was supposed to do to make sure everyone was happy, and I was living the American dream: get married, have children, own your own home, and then retire. I was not selfish about spreading my love and peace to everyone.
A few hours later, I was mentally drained from trying to think this situation through. I had no desire to pray. I felt my faith weakening. I just wanted everything fixed now—right now—and back to normal. I remembered the storm in 2008 that had hit our home, but I didn’t think another storm was about to hit my life.
I called Mary Louise, a very dear friend of my mom’s who was like a mom to me. She was very dear to my family too. She said, “Girl, nothing happened. It is just the Devil stirring up a mess.” She started to pray, and I started feeling a bit better. I just could not get past my life being interrupted with this stuff.
On September 29, things turned for the worse. I had to make some major decisions, as now more details were added to the shameful allegations against my husband.
On October 5, the situation grew to an immeasurable level. Our family had to split when the state forced my husband to move out of our home. Thus began my education as a single parent. And now the state was a part of my life.
Truth was now my goal. In my inner sanctuary, Spirit, revealed a truth. As I reflected on the nineteen years my husband and I had been married, I thought about the man I knew, the father of my children, and how important life was to him.
I was not going to choose sides. I needed to remain neutral, but I could no longer depend on anyone. It was now only God and me.
Late in the evening October 26, a second loss occurred in my life, this time a permanent one. My mother-in-law passed away. We don’t always understand why things happen, but they are part of God’s plan.
I received my answer from God about why my husband was forced to move out of our home. He had the opportunity to be with his mother during the last stage of her life. Although the state pulled our family apart, it wasn’t a defeat because God knew the night He would take my mother-in-law to heaven.
Her death tore me into a million pieces. After a while, I knew I needed to pull myself together, but my mind was in too many places at once. I did not know where to start. The situation was impossible. I still had to investigate the allegations. How was I going to tell the children that their grandmother was deceased?
Two days later, a third loss occurred. Child Protective Services (CPS) came and took our two children. They said I wasn’t protecting them from their father, so I was no longer allowed to be with them now, and it was possible I never would be again.