Starting Over: How This Woman Revived Her Childhood Dream After a Failed Marriage

When Annie Liz separated from her husband of ten years, life became very difficult for her. She had three children and no income.

“I realized that I could no longer live with him, so I left,” Annie told The Weight She Carries. “I had no way of making my own money. I had nothing, so my sister looked for money for me to pay rent for a month.”

Annie rented a house and began hustling. She didn’t have any capital to start a business, so she went to work in a bar as a bartender.

“I would go to work from 5 p.m. at the bar and work the whole night and come back home at about 4 a.m. It was very difficult, and I had to leave my children alone because I wasn’t making much money and didn’t have enough to pay for someone to watch my kids at night,” she said. “I worked at the bar out of necessity. I didn’t go there for entertainment. I went there because I knew I had children to raise. I had a family that depended on me.”

Before going to work each evening, Annie made sure she cooked enough food for her children to eat their dinner and would leave instructions for them when they returned home from school.

Annie once had a strong relationship with God. She prayed often and attended church regularly. But the pain from her failed marriage and her hardships led her to question her faith.

“I asked myself what was wrong with me. Things were not working out so why should I not go and enjoy myself and go to the bar like other people are doing. So, I began to drink,” she said.

While working at the bar provided some income, it created another problem Annie had not considered. Soon, she began to drink heavily.

“I couldn’t go to bed without drinking. Even on the days that I wasn’t working at the bar, I would drink so much. I would wake up at about noon, prepare some food for my kids and then go find some friends and we would go out, drink all day and come back home late at night. I thought my life had come to an end so I thought I wanted to drink until the day I died.” – Annie Liz

As her drinking progressed, the dream she once had of becoming a singer drifted further away.

“When I was a young girl, I loved music. I used to sing in my local church and as I grew older, I began to recognize that I actually had the gift of singing. I began writing songs and I told myself that if ever had the opportunity, I would go to the studio and produce my songs,” Annie said.

Her sister, who was a devout Christian, prayed for Annie and continued to encourage her to give her life back to God. Over time, Annie did, and soon began producing gospel music.

“It was very difficult for me to pursue gospel music because I didn’t have the money,” she said. “But I saved up as much money as I could.”

After working at the bar for 5 years, Annie was fired after she was accused of stealing money.

“They discovered that I was producing music on the side. They thought I was taking money from the bar because they knew it takes a lot of money to produce music. So they assumed the only way I could afford it was because I must have been taking money from the bar and using it for my own purposes,” she said. “Not knowing that it was God who was helping me save that money.”

Annie was able to release an album in 2017 called Ndathima (Bless Me) which features six songs.

“This album is about how I was praying to God to turn around my life and my situation. The songs are prayers to God. God can we lift you up from nothing to something,” she said. “I was a drunkard. I could not sleep without drinking, but God changed me. I made the decision to start a new life. And when you are ready to be changed by God, you will be changed completely.”

Her music can be found on YouTube. Annie is also a pastor now.

“So many people have felt that they come to an end. I went through a lot, but I trusted in God. I never believed that a day like this would come. There’s a time when even finding food to eat was a problem; paying my rent was a big problem. But I know that when someone trusts in the Lord, all shall be well.” – Annie Liz

The temptation to drink was still present even after she dedicated her life to God. It was difficult because she was an alcoholic. There were times she would buy alcohol to store in her house. But one day she challenged God and said, ‘If you have really saved me, I will never drink again.’ And that, she said, was the end of it.

“My kids are now happy now because now they see me. There are times I couldn’t talk to them because I was so busy. I had no time for them. My kids always wondered where I was,” she said. “I know that God is taking me far and I know I have come a long way.”

 “I would like to encourage other single mothers to remember that it’s not the end of the world. Even if your marriage doesn’t work, there is life after pain. God can do wonders and miracles. Things will get better.” – Annie Liz