My marriage to Daniel was miracle. It was God’s way of showing me that He has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Daniel and I were always fighting. We didn’t get along even though he had been a channel of God’s power and healing for my deliverance from demonic possession. I considered him a brother and just wanted to be his friend.
However, things had been improving between Daniel and me, and he was becoming friendlier. Then my mother upset the apple cart. She asked Daniel one day, “What type of friendship do you have with my daughter? You have been a help for her deliverance, and I thank you and God for that. A few months ago she was complaining about how you openly despised her. Now you both are getting close. Whatever your intentions are, I would prefer you declare it to our church family. You know we have been rejected and abandoned by our relatives because of our faith. I trust the church now more than I trust my relatives. We want to do this the right way, so I will give you a week to think about your friendship with my daughter, and then you let me know. I want my church family to know what’s going on.” Taken aback at her little speech, I told my mother that Daniel and I were just friends and nothing more.
The following Sabbath, Daniel wouldn’t say a word to me. I said to my mother, “Do you know what you have done? Now he is not speaking to me. I told you there was nothing special going on.”
She simply replied, “I am not blind, you know.” I did not know what she meant, and I did not care to know. However, she began to pray that I would get a good Christian husband. She even fasted for three days.
My relationship with Daniel continued to deteriorate. He even physically attacked me, which got him censured by the church. I was so confused by his behavior. I asked Jesus to mend it. I wanted to be a good Christian and to be friends with everyone. Yet here was this guy, whom God had used to help deliver me, and he was treating me with hatred and scorn. Our relatives had rejected us for our new faith, and now here was a member of our church family behaving in a spiteful manner.
One Sabbath, I was in the baptismal class, and Uncle Fred was teaching Christian Behavior. In this lesson, he taught us to be kind to one another, and that we should always try to be kind to those who are not kind to us. He quoted Romans 12:18: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.”
A week later, Uncle Fred began to talk about the upcoming communion service. Every Sabbath he took five minutes to talk about how we should prepare our hearts to participate in the Lord’s Supper. During those five-minute specials, Christianity became very clear and real to me. In Islam, I was taught to love those who love me and hate those who hate me. But now I understood that the Christian life is about your relationship with Jesus and with your neighbor.
Two Sabbaths later, after the church service, I pulled Daniel aside. “Daniel,” I said, “this is my first communion service as a new believer in Christ. Forgiveness is not an easy thing for me. In my former Muslim religion, I was taught to fight back against those who despise me, and I would be justified in the judgement. But I am no longer a Muslim. I want to follow the teachings of my Redeemer. So, from the bottom of my heart, I forgive you.”
Daniel began to cry, and I started crying with him. Frightened by his emotion, I began to apologize. “Don’t apologize,” he said. “That’s for me to do.” Then, his next words caught me completely off guard: “Will you marry me?”
It was as if a cannon had exploded in my ears. My head was spinning. All I could say was “Daniel!” Then I turned and ran home as fast I could.
Running into the house, I screamed, “Mama! Mama! Mama!”
“What is it?” she asked.
“Why is this happening to me?” I said.
“Is it Daniel again? What has he done this time? I knew there would be trouble when I left you two talking after church.”
“Why did you fast and pray for me to get a husband? Daniel asked me to be his wife! Can’t you see what he has done to me? Mama! You have to stop your prayers! I am going to run away and stay with my brothers in Conakry.”
“My daughter, listen to me,” she said soothingly. “This Jesus who has redeemed you is God himself. If He has transformed you, the Mariam I knew, and chosen Daniel for you, then you can trust Him! He is capable of making Daniel into a loving, caring husband to you and a good father to your future children. I want you to know that I didn’t have Daniel in mind when I was praying and fasting for God to give you a Christian husband. Of all the men in the church, he was not on my list, knowing the way he has treated you. I want the best husband for you, and I think Jesus has given you the best. Trust me! As sure as my faith in Jesus, He will perform a miracle for you.”
That night I spoke to my Redeemer. I asked for His will to be done. All of a sudden, I wanted to see Daniel. I wanted to talk with him and make plans. For the very first time I felt happy when I thought about him. But still I fought that thought and resisted the feelings I was developing for him.
In the morning, as soon as my mother saw my face, she burst out singing one of our Susu praise songs called “God is Powerful.” She kept singing for the rest of the morning.
I sent my little sister to call Daniel. When he arrived, my mother left for her garden, something she hadn’t been planning to do that day. I told Daniel how I had wrestled with his proposal and my feelings for him. He suggested that we commit it to God with fasting and prayer. We did that for three days, and we talked with my mother. Then she advised that we see the church leaders.
To be continued.
