A woman is devastated and believes God has betrayed her by taking her husband away — then she receives a call from a mysterious man who says he loves her and her life changes.
Betty had thought nothing could hurt her worse than her mother’s death. But one fateful morning had proved her wrong.
That morning, Betty had gone to bring tea to her husband, as she had done several times before, and found him dozing off on the armchair. She had grinned at first, admiring his gentle face, but then a worry gripped her heart when she noticed Carl seemed… lifeless!
Betty had placed the teacup on the table, then shaken Carl and cried when he didn’t respond. And like that, he was gone in his sleep, and she was left with nothing, no one…
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Carl and Betty had been married for thirty years and had seen several ups and downs. The couple even got over the grief of being childless because they had one another and their love.
But now, Betty didn’t have anyone. The condolences of distant relatives and friends sounded like an insult, and she blamed God for playing a dirty game with her, rejoicing in his power to take away her loved one.
So Betty stopped going to church. She wouldn’t pray, and she wouldn’t appreciate Him. He had been a heartless force and taken her beloved husband away!
We might forget God, but he never forgets His children.
Betty’s life was in shambles after Carl’s death. She had let herself go, and she didn’t eat, sleep, or go out—except for visiting Carl’s grave. She’d buy him flowers and sit beside him for hours, telling him her heart’s worries and how much she missed him.
Nothing stopped Betty from visiting Carl. Neither the rains nor the scorching sun! Her house needed repairs, and she barely had any savings, but she didn’t care. Carl had been the breadwinner, and now that he wasn’t there, nothing mattered.
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One afternoon, Betty returned home from the cemetery, sat in Carl’s armchair, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She hugged one of his shirts, as she’d done plenty of times since his funeral, and remembered… God.
“You know how much I despise you after what you did,” she whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks. “But you have my husband, my dear Carl! I can’t live without him, and you don’t have the authority to separate us!”
Betty was crying, wanting to give up and die, but her phone rang and distracted her. She didn’t answer the first time but couldn’t tolerate the ring the third time and picked it up.
“Who on Earth are you, and why are you bothering me?” she yelled on the phone.
A gentle voice appeared on the other end of the line. “Bet!” it said. “Bet, I’m here! I love you! Please don’t give up on life. I know you’re facing a hard time, but let me help you.”
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“You love me?” she screamed in tears. “No, you don’t! You can’t! Who do you think you are? My dear Carl loved me, and now he’s gone! And nobody understands me! Nobody! They don’t know how painful this is!”
“Betty,” he said calmly. “Don’t hate me for what I said. I want to help you. I want to help you step out of this pain, but only if you let me do that?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry, but I can’t talk further! I need to go!”
“Can we please meet?” he asked. “Do you know the park by the church you used to visit? I’ll be waiting there at five tomorrow. I hope to see you there, Betty. Goodbye.”
Betty put her phone down and returned to the armchair. She didn’t want to meet anyone or go anywhere. But there was an inner voice telling her to meet this mysterious man. And she would’ve done so if she hadn’t fainted and ended up in a hospital.
When Betty opened her eyes, she found herself in a ward, an IV drip attached to her arm.
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“Where am I?” she asked the nurse, who smiled gently. “It’s the city hospital. You had fainted, and a man brought you here. He said he was a friend.”
“A man?” she asked. “A friend? Where is he?”
“Would you like to see him?” the nurse asked. “I’ll let him know you’re awake.”
And then the nurse was gone, and soon after, a handsome man entered her ward—a silver fox with kind eyes and a gentle smile.
“You’re awake!” He smiled. “Hi, I’m Carson!”
“Carson,” she said. “Do I know you?”
“We used to go to the same church,” he explained, sitting on the stool beside her bed. “Remember I had called you and said I wanted to meet you? I noticed you near the park when you fainted. I called the ambulance and brought you here. Unfortunately, the doctor says you’ll have to stay here for a while.”
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“Oh…” Betty’s eyes welled up. “Thank you for helping me.”
“Don’t thank me,” he said. “Thank yourself, Betty. You’re a strong woman.”
“No, I’m not…” she whispered. “I’m not. I wanted to die. I wanted to go where my late husband is. I don’t know why I’m still alive!”
“Because you have to live a happy life. A long one,” he said. “Rest for now, and I’ll visit you soon. And by the way,” he added before leaving. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me. If you’re wondering how I got your phone number, the church people helped me.”
From that day on, Carson visited Betty every day, sometimes with flowers and sometimes with balloons to cheer her up. The other people from her church also helped her. They got her house repaired and collected money to clear her hospital bills.
Then one day, Carson held Betty’s hand and said, “I know you might not be ready for this, but I love you, Betty. I was visiting the church to heal from my wife’s loss, and I met you there. I think it was all meant to be. You can say no if you don’t want to accept my love. But I’ll be waiting for you. I’ll wait for your yes!”
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Betty smiled through tears. “No,” she said, caressing his palm. “I want to live. I know that’s what my husband would have wanted. And I feel I found a shoulder to lean on. So, it’s a yes. And I mean it.”
Six months later, Betty married Carson and was surrounded by his children and grandchildren, becoming a part of the family she had never imagined she would.
What can we learn from this story?
- We might forget God, but he never forgets His children. Betty blamed God for taking her husband away, not knowing he would send someone (Carson) to make her life bearable.
- Never give up because miracles happen when we least expect them. Betty wanted to die and go to her late husband, but after meeting Carson, she could move on from her loss and heal.