by Ann Ronquillo
Church usher, housewife and mother of 3
as told to Carol delos Santos
I was rebellious. When I was 18, I ran away from home because my father was always drunk. I was totally lost, without friends, with nowhere to go. I was traveling around aimlessly.
But somehow I knew this one thing—God was my only hope. I used to cry to Him and ask “Is there any man in the world who could ever love me?” I cried out to Him all my frustrations over my parents, over my life. I kept telling God, “You’re the only One I could lean on. I could only trust You and no one else”. There was no one else in my life.
For several months, my parents didn’t hear from me. They could’ve been wondering where I was, or whether I was still alive…
After some time, my aunt got to me and took me with her to Manila. Going to Manila was one thing my father could never allow. Be there was nothing he could do about that anymore.
Barely a year after, I got married. Life with my husband at that point had been tough. We weren’t really prepared for marriage at that stage.
My husband’s father turned out to be a Pastor. It was because of him that I opened a Bible for the first time.
I came to Victory Churches of Asia (in the Philippines) for the first time in 2016. That was when I really began to grow spiritually. That was when I finally realized that in everything I’ve been through, in those difficult, ugly times, God had been keeping me safe. I realized that even without my parents, when I was all alone, I’ve been protected from harm. God had protected me. God was with me all along. Through my terrible journey, He had been there with me, taking care of me. He had never, not even once, left me alone. And the best thing was He led the way for me to meet my husband.
I never even asked for such a good, responsible husband like what I have now. I’ve only asked for a man who would love me. But God exceeded my expectations. “Lord, what You have given me is just amazing”.
Now, I’ve finally realized just how much God truly loves me, and it’s because of the things I’ve been through. Because He has truly carried me. He guided me and fixed my life. I have a responsible husband who never stopped me from going to church. He takes care of our children whenever I attend the church training classes. He truly supports me in everything I do. This is why I always say, “Lord, You are truly amazing”.
As I look back, I realized that, through all the ugly experiences I’ve had, God had a purpose for allowing some things to happen. They truly reveal God’s glory in my life.
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