Weekly Feature by Curtis Morton
The way I see it, it is always good to have exemplary role models within the community. It is even better when we ourselves seek to live in such a way as to become exemplary citizens and role models, so that others looking at us, can be led into RIGHT paths and outstanding service to God and man.
‘I had the occasion to be present at a very special celebration on Tuesday 15th October. It was the 90th birthday of a very special and dear lady, Mrs. Viola Dore. I had to leave what I was doing in order to attend. After all, I had received a special invitation from the celebrant herself and I was not going to disappoint.
Some weeks prior, in my capacity then, as Supervisor at the Communications Unit within the Ministry of Social Development, I was privileged to conduct an exclusive interview for the Social Development archives with Mrs. Dore. What I gleaned during that interview, was astounding.
I was immediately reminded of the popular bible verse, Proverbs 31: 10: ‘Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.’
She would have come from humble beginnings but would have worked hard, along with her husband, to raise her children. She was a faithful and dutiful wife and mother and always busy with her hands.
When she gave her life to God in full, at age 23, she set out to serve him for the remainder of her life and would have served in various positions in the Wesleyan Holiness Church. She is well known for her efforts at holding Sunday school classes throughout the many villages of Gingerland and many would have been taught by her, from the word of God.
However, she told me an amazing story that proved that with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. She and her husband ran into difficult financial times. As any husband and wife ought to, they would have prayed about the situation and discussed several possible solutions, at length. One option discussed, was for the husband to go off to England, as many Nevisians were doing at that time, in order to get a lucrative job and make life easier for the family. She would stay at home, with the children and when the time was right, maybe she would eventually join him, with the children.
Well, she went to the bank and secured a loan, which was able to cover the airfare cost for her husband to go off to England. Things went to plan for the first several months. He called her every week and every two weeks or so, she received some money to help her family. Then the letters became less and less and then eventually stopped. By the time she got the full story, she discovered that her husband was living with another woman and was raising a totally different family.
Well I newa!
She admits that that was enough to ‘turn anybody crazy’—BUT GOD! She emphasized the importance of having God as one’s personal Lord and Saviour and noted that only because of God, she was able to survive the ordeal.
So wonderful is the woman, that she even taught her children never to hate their father and when he sheepishly showed up at her home, many years after, while he was hesitating at the roadside, she loudly invited him into the house and hugged him and told him ‘You still my husband!’
What a woman!
She even ensured that her side of the family was well represented at his funeral service, held in England. Three of her children were present at the service. It tells me that through God, we can learn to forgive even the most heinous acts committed against us and believe it or not, God wants us to forgive one another. We must understand that if we can’t forgive those around us who hurt us, he (GOD), won’t be able to forgive us for our numerous transgressions.
I am not sure I want to hear what some of you women would have done to that man, given the same circumstances! So, may the life story of Mrs. Viola Dore resonate loudly with our hearts and help us to live more caring, sharing and forgiving lives.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?