Jesus of Nazareth, Lord of all- Defender of Widows, Father to the Fatherless

by Sueyuna Duthie
(Aurora, Colorado)

Tragically, on June 19, 2009, my husband and father of our three beautiful daughters passed away at the tender age of 51 after a sudden, and violent bought with a very rare and aggressive, signet ring cell cancer.

I am now the widowed, 45 year-old mother of our three beautiful daughters ages 14, 8, and 4. Sadly, after an all consuming year in 2008 of campaigning for the Colorado State Senate, the year concluded with the tidal wave loss of my election, the fallout of a nationwide blow to our political party. Little did I know then, the loss wouldn't end there. In the coming 2009 year, I would lose my husband and my campaign manager, both to cancer.

During the holiday season of 2008, finally able to begin to come up for air after the rigors of a nearly year long campaign for the State Senate, my attention was able to return in focus to home life. What began to come into focus was very discouraging. In late December and early January, after the holiday season, my late husband, Matt, began to share with me about very serious tribulation in his sole proprietorship real estate business. In February, he began to vocalize about serious and continual physical distress. I immediately made doctors appointments, one after another. Nothing worked. On February 28, 2008, Matt entered the point of what was to be, no return beginning at the hospital, and ending in death at the Hospice. He stayed there until mid March. In March, we received the diagnosis that he had an incurable, aggressive, rare, and terminal cancer. My husband was sent home to die. We chose to stand in faith believing that God would heal him. At that time, we had no income, as I was a stay at home, home-school mother of our 3 daughters, and my husband and my daughters required my attention and continued care.

First, we experienced God's provision through the body of believers at our beautiful church congregation, Wheat Field Fellowship. God provided for our family through meals, garage sales, and the financial contributions of our church body, and believers in Jesus Christ throughout the community.

When my husband died on June 19, I had just eight days prior on June 11, 2009, received a notice from the county Public Trustee, stating that they intended to foreclose on our family home, but praise God, He had another answer waiting. In September 2009, I prayed about which small group the Lord would have me to join at our church. The Lord led me to the Crown Financial Life Group study. It was precisely what I needed as a new widow who had absolutely no experience with our family finances. My late husband had handled all of that. God's timing is perfect! He is the Lord who provides, Jehovah-jireh is His name!

After enrolling in the class, one day I was strolling through Wal-Mart, doing my grocery shopping, when Bob Coruzzi called. Ironically, Bob asked whether I would like to open my home to host the Crown Financial Life Group Study. I said, "Bob, if you don't mind that our home is in foreclosure, then by all means yes." Bob responded in faith saying, "Well good, then we'll just cover your home in prayer."

Many miracles of God's timing happened during the course of our Crown Life Group study. For example, God went before me, in His plans, and demonstrated that with His impeccable timing. During the week that our reading and homework was centered around investing and seeking wise counsel, I had already been scheduled weeks before to have an appointment with a financial adviser.

Praise God, we as a small Crown group lifted our prayer requests on a weekly basis. My continued request was that God would enable the bank to approve the loan modification agreement on our home. On October 29th, that's exactly what God did! By His grace, the bank did not foreclose on our home! God arranged the mortgage payments to fit my budget, and God has also arranged our financial situation such that I am able to continue to fulfill God's desire for me as a mother to remain at home with our daughters and home-school them! It is now December 29, 2009, and my daughters and I are continuing to praise God for the blessing of our home and for His continued provision! The word says that God knows what we have need of, and that with food, raiment, and shelter we should be content, and we are! We are so thankful to the Lord Jesus for His hand on our lives,and for His hand on Crown Financial ministries. To the God of Israel be all of the glory, in Jesus' name. -Amen!

Thank you Crown for teaching me God's financial principles and Bob Coruzzi for the opportunity to testify and to bring God glory!

-Respectfully,

Sueyuna Duthie