Hannah believed Jesus was the reason for all her pain and struggles. She felt the hatred was mutual. Hannah Deborah was brought up in a nominal Christian family and lived with her grandparents for the first four years of her life. Having never had a connection with her parents, moving in with them at the age of five was strange and unsettling. She soon realised her father was a drunkard and her mother was depressed. When her father tried to sell her off one day, Hannah’s mother decided to move to Chennai with Hannah and her little brother.
Being brought up in such dysfunctional family conditions, Hannah never could build a bond with her mother. Bitterness, loneliness and resentment were felt in abundance in Hannah’s house. Being human, with limited understanding, Hannah started hating Jesus for making her go through such undeserved pain. Hannah was certain that she was solely responsible for the little good that was happening, and Jesus was responsible for all the bad in her life.
Around the age of fourteen, her mother disappeared for months leaving young Hannah and her little brother to fend for themselves. Youngsters in the neighbourhood tried to take advantage of the situation but the children somehow remained unharmed. Finally, when her mother came back, Hannah started attending church and took it as a challenge to read the Bible to prove the pastor wrong. But God’s powerful word broke Hannah’s barriers and touched her heart; she was overcome with His love and accepted Him as her Saviour.
Things were finally looking better for Hannah. “I will call you by name, you are mine. I have plans to prosper you”, Hannah recalls reading in the Bible. She felt God’s presence and His powerful love transform her. One night, Hannah found her mother had given in to depression and hung herself in Hannah’s room. Soon after, her grandparents put both the children into an orphanage. This heart-breaking experience didn’t shatter Hannah’s faith. What got her through was her firm belief in Psalm 27:10 ‘Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.’
Hannah prayed and hoped in Jesus and His mercy. She was soon blessed by the presence of an Italian couple who sponsored her studies and living expenses. Hannah was amazed by the transformation of her life! From a poor orphan who could barely survive to being showered with clothes and books from Italy. God’s love, power and mercy were beautiful and unfathomable! “I want to thank Jesus first of all! He brought be out of the entire situation. He is my father, He is my mother, He is my best friend with whom I can talk, and joke! He lifted me up, taught me and blessed me!”, says a happy and hopeful Hannah. She now pays forward the love and help she received to people who struggle with insecurity and depression.
