The Preacher’s Wife
I was only 10 years old when we moved to California. Daddy was into real estates and we were bound to travel a lot. His company had an annual plan they used in determining which cities or countries they worked in per month. With dad being one of the best hands they got, it meant that he had to do a lot of supervision- hence his traveling.
I used to have a mom or I guess I still do because daddy says she is in heaven and someday I will get to meet her. I was only 7 years old when she went to heaven. From what I could remember, I always had this vision of a beautiful woman who sings why she combs my hair. I remember her lovely voice while she reads me bedtime stories. I also remember the taste of her food, it was delicious. There were no pictures of her, daddy took them down. He said the pain was too much to bear. He said I looked like her and whenever I missed her or forgot what she looked like, I should look into the mirror.
Daddy never remarried, sometimes I hoped he would. Raising a girl child all by himself would be difficult for him due to his line of work. Although the nannies helped we couldn’t keep them for long.
There was nanny Elsa, Josephine, Jacqueline, Ruby, oh I lost count of them but there was one I couldn’t forget, nanny MacPhie. She was delightful and cared for me like I was her own. I always thought daddy would marry her but well I could not just match make grownups based on my wishes, they had to have some connection of some sort. Daddy only felt connected to mummy, I envied such a connection.
Moving to California was difficult for me. I had only begun to make friends at the St Theresa High where I was schooling in Europe. Being the ‘new kid’ was difficult for me but I was probably used to the routine at this age. New cities meant new friends, school, nanny, and a new neighborhood.
Daddy got us this awesome apartment in a white neighborhood. It was courtesy of the company. We had never lived in a white neighborhood before. I was both scared and excited. I was scared because I had experienced what it felt like to be amongst the white kids at St Theresa. A few of them had been mean until Aubrey stood up for me. Aubrey was a white girl who was popular in school. We still kept in touch though.
Daddy enrolled me at Baptist High and got me a new nanny. It took us the whole day to find one. After daddy put up a call to the nanny services they sent quite a number of young ladies. When I saw Ms. Summer, I was reminded of her mommy. I immediately told daddy I wanted her to be my nanny.
Baptist High was like any other school but I was reliving almost the same experience. I was being bullied again. When I asked why they said I looked funny. I didn’t want to tell daddy so I just kept it to myself. Every day the older girls took my lunch and ate it. They also called me names but every time I got home to nanny Summer, it was always summer- bright and nice.
We went to service at the Lakewood Church right down our street. It was there I met her, the preacher’s wife. After the sermon, the preacher, pastor Luke and his lovely wife Amber stood at the entrance of the church and shook everyone’s hands. When it got to I and daddy’s turn, daddy was explaining who we were to the pastor and Amber crouched down on one knee and whispered the words I would never forget into my ears,
“You are beautiful in and out and the Lord has great things in store for you”. I wondered why this woman whom I had just met would say such things to me. My dad asked me to introduce myself and I said in my best voice,
“Good day Pastor and Miss, my name is Chloe and I am happy to meet your acquaintance.”
“Call me Amber,” she said.
That night as I retired to my room, I thought about what Amber had told me. My father had told me about the Lord, he told me beautiful stories about how the Lord had protected the Israelites from their enemies. My all-time favorite was the story about Joseph and his brothers. But Amber spoke about the Lord as if he knew me.
That night I decided to make a simple prayer, not the Lord’s prayer this time but heartfelt prayer. “Lord, Miss Amber talked about you having great things in store for me, I am interested if you would have me, Amen”.
I woke up the next morning and everything was normal like every other day. Nanny Summer made pancakes for breakfast and daddy was having coffee while he read the TRIBUNES. It was then I heard a still voice asking me to tell my dad something. It said, “Chloe tell your daddy that the investors will call him shortly, he shouldn’t be bothered”. I thought it was all in my head until I heard it again. I just blurted out on the breakfast table “Daddy, the investors will call you shortly, don’t be bothered”.
“Ehn! Chloe, how did you know about the investors?”
“Someone told me.”
“Who? Never mind I am late for work, see you, honey, bye.”
“Bye, daddy.”
I spent the whole day wondering who had told me who about daddy’s investors. There was only one person I could think of with the answer to my question. Amber. When daddy came home, he was excited and he informed me that the investors had called just like I told him they would but I kept telling him, it wasn’t me. He asked me what I wanted and I requested to meet with Amber as soon as possible and he agreed to my greatest surprise.
“I am sorry we came on such short notice but Chloe insisted on seeing Amber ASAP.”
“It’s no problem at all, our doors are open to you and your daughter anytime.”
“Amber! Amber!”
“Yes, little pumpkin, you look lovely this evening.”
“Thank you, Amber, there is something I must speak to you about.”
I told Amber about what happened in the morning. I was right, Amber knew the answer. She told me about the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the trinity she had called it. She told me that it was the Holy Spirit who talked to me and I could have a relationship with him if I cared enough to have one.
She was gone about a minute or so and when she returned, she was with a book which she gifted to me. It read “Good Morning Holy Spirit”. It was authored by Benny Hinn. She told me I could get some of the answers I desired in it. I kissed Amber goodnight and was off with daddy for the night.
The following week I was so engrossed in reading the book that I was almost done reading by the weekend. I woke up Saturday morning and the first thing I said was “Good morning Holy Spirit”. I waited for a heartbeat and there was nothing. I thought it was strange because what Benny described in his book was a different kind of encounter.
I wanted to meet Amber again and I couldn’t wait till Sunday school to see her, there I wouldn’t have her all to myself. I had nanny Summer escort me to church. I was surprised because I didn’t know they had church meetings on Saturdays. Everyone welcomed me into their midst even though I was the youngest. They told me it was a worship meeting, they just gathered in church, sang and worshipped the Lord.
Sister Anne had the loveliest voice I had ever heard. She led the worship song and we all sang in harmony, although I sounded as if I were tone-deaf. During the meeting, the strangest thing happened. I felt a pull towards something, a realm of some sort or some higher reality different from ours. I was vibrating so much I couldn’t feel my feet and all of a sudden I started crying. Sooner than I had I recovered from crying, I spoke in a strange language. Within me, I knew I had no prior knowledge of it, although daddy made sure I was proficient in Hebrew, Spanish, and French. It was then I heard the voice say; “If you would believe Chloe, I am always with you”. When I looked up, there was Amber smiling at me as she told me I had just experienced the first evidence of having the Holy Spirit- speaking in tongues.
Ever since that day I have never been apart from him. I grew in the spirit to the point that I could easily hear when he was talking to me. I asked him questions and he always pointed me to God’s word and showed me the answers. Did I mention the bullying stopped? It was like meeting the Holy Spirit changed my life.
Are miracles real? Of course, they were. I had seen them happen. At 17, I was in the choir, I sang the alto part. Daddy was married to my new mommy, nanny Summer and I could not ask for anything better. Amber and I had a wonderful relationship and she had been grooming and mentoring me in the way of the lord.
At 22, I had twin siblings, Keith and Kate. I adored them and prayed for them daily. Amber was already a grandmother and I helped her babysit whenever I was in town. In college, I and my roommate started a worship meeting, the kind Amber held in the church and the Holy Spirit moved mightily in our midst. We prayed for the kingdom of God and as well did evangelisms on Fridays.
Everything was going well, God was in control. But like in every believer’s life the storms were bound to come. I got a call from home, it was Amber, she was sick.
“Baby, I am okay, you didn’t have to come all the way from Pennsylvania.”
“Amber, don’t be ridiculous. I would travel down just for you.”
“What’s the diagnosis?”
“It’s cancer, breast cancer.”
I wasn’t ready for this news. This was Amber, my mentor, our pastor’s wife. She was the kindest person I knew. How on earth did she get cancer? The next months were followed by several treatments, chemotherapy. Amber was in pain and I was broken. I couldn’t help her. I couldn’t take the pains away no matter how much I wanted to. I prayed for her daily and anointed her too.
The following week, I was praying in the room when the Holy Spirit revealed to me something I had not taken up seriously before now. He spoke to me about praying for God’s will. I had to have faith that God’s will for Amber was better than my will for her.
I began to pray for the Lord’s will and put my faith in him. I was watching and praying. Amber got better and stronger. Her grandchildren gave birth and their children gave birth. I was just grateful to the lord that Amber survived cancer.
Amber lived to the ripe age of 96. The Lord did do good by keeping to his promises, the number of our days did he promise to fulfill. On the day she was laid to rest, I said the words that filled my heart, words I had never failed to say to her since we first met.
“When I first met Mrs. Amber Luke, I was a fortunate little girl who had nothing but her daddy. When she saw me for the first time after Sunday service, she crouched down on one knee and told me I was beautiful in and out and that God had wonderful plans for me. Amber, as she wanted me to call her, was the preacher’s wife. She was my friend and mother. She taught me God’s word and introduced me to the Holy Spirit. She was a mentor and mother to all who wanted her to be. Her lovely smile, she was ever joyful even in the face of cancer. Sunday evenings were never complete without dinner at her place, neither was Saturday worship meetings. Were angels real? I believe Amber was my guardian angel. I wouldn’t have complained moving with daddy all over again to California just to meet Amber. Heaven must be rejoicing because one of the Lord’s saints just arrived. Till we meet again in the bosom of the Lord, rest on, mom. I love you now, forever, and always.”
Life without Amber was never the same but she had given me all I needed to go on. She had given me love, hope, and most essentially she had shown me the Lord. Amber was not only the preacher’s wife; she was the preacher herself who preached her own God-given message.
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