Impact Detroit Magazine Impact Detroit Magazine 2013 | Page 45

Yusuf get to know their daughter
better, he couldn't be bothered
and was a consistent no show,
leaving not only Annie hurt, but
now their daughter who was
almost 5. This is when Annie
begin to shift in her thinking, to
desire more for herself. Seeing
her daughter hurt was tearing at
her heart and she knew now that
she could never change Yusuf.
So, she thought about changing
herself and it started with her
perception of herself. Perhaps
this was where she needed to
start. The question was, how?
Once, she was in the grocery
store with her daughter and Yusuf
was with his friends and another
girl! As she went to tell their
daughter to say hello to her
D a d d y, Yu s u f c o m p l e t e l y
avoided her, turning his back to
them, as to avoid her gesturing.
And, what seemed like slow
motion to Annie, they passed
each other as if they’d never met.
As if they never had, an
agreement. As if they were not
friends. Then, Annie didn’t waste
any more time. She figured she’d
learn as she went. She got closer
to God on her face, confessing
and repenting and thanking God
for his Word that said, He would
perfect that which concerns her.
Daily she made an effort to learn
more about God and begin
focusing on her relationship with

God and He begin to show Annie
her purpose. She forgave Yusuf
and still desired better for him
and she let him go. She let the
agreement go. She left Yusuf and
the agreement in God’s hands.
She realized the decision she
made to have a child, the way she
did was very selfish and had lots
to do with her abusive past and
her self-worth, but she did not
make excuses and her past was
not who she was but merely
experiences. She begin to push
herself to see herself the way
God saw her. To love herself and
surround herself with people who
saw her like that, too.
The
process of forgiving herself,
healing emotionally and seeing
herself brand new and full of
purpose, was not easy, but it was
not difficult either when she
stopped looking for reasons and
answers and simply trusted God.
Annie learned to just be herself
with God because He loved her,
unconditionally. Annie exhaled,
again.
Annie still did her &W7BF