Owning Gratitude: Victoria's Story

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

We've been walking this journey of ownership together, owning our choices, our struggles, our resources, our freedom. Today, we turn to another dimension of ownership, one that transforms everything else: owning gratitude.

A Life of Uncertainty

Victoria's life was a cycle of survival and shame. As a street vendor selling vegetables illegally in Rwanda, she never knew which corners were safe or when police would arrive. Sometimes she'd see them coming and run, abandoning her merchandise. Other times they'd catch her by surprise. She didn’t know what to do.

To make ends meet, she practiced prostitution in secret. From one relationship, she became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter with severe disabilities — Alice. The father, a drunkard, disappeared. Nine years later, another relationship led to another pregnancy, another man who wouldn't stay. 

As a single mother of two, Victoria faced impossible choices. Medical care for Alice was desperately expensive. The shame was even heavier. Victoria kept her sixteen-year-old daughter hidden in their room, away from the insults of neighbors and the stares of unexpected visitors. She couldn't bear for anyone to see Alice.

Victoria was trapped — by poverty, by shame, by circumstances beyond her control. 

A Friend's Invitation

Then a friend told her about DuHope. There was a woman, the friend said, who wanted to help women leave prostitution and become financially independent.

Victoria decided to take a chance.

She enrolled in DuHope's trainings — handiwork, finance and budgeting, Bible study. With each session, something shifted. Not just her skills, but her entire mindset. She began to see possibilities where before she'd only seen dead ends.

During counseling sessions, Victoria's burden became obvious. She finally shared her full story. And then, for the first time, she allowed people from DuHope to meet Alice. Her second daughter had been coming to DuHope with her, playing with other children, but Alice had always remained hidden at home.

Jamie, DuHope's director, immediately began searching for doctors who could help. The answers were discouraging — Alice was too old for surgery, her condition beyond what local doctors could treat. But Jamie didn't stop. She reached out across Rwanda, to the United States, searching worldwide for help and donations.

Owning a New Story

Today, Victoria can save for the future. She provides for her family's basic needs — rent, health insurance, home expenses. She's launched a side business supplying empty bottles and jerrycans to customers, and she's already planning to expand to serve bigger companies.

But the deeper transformation is in her heart.

"What should I say?" Victoria reflects. "For the first time, people loved and cared for me expecting nothing in return. For the first time, my child was accepted in the society I was living in. For the first time, people asked me, 'How is Alice, your firstborn, doing today?' For the first time, I got stable financially and became able to provide for my children. I am a happy woman, working hard for my babies and hoping for a better future. I can't thank DuHope leadership and Jamie enough. My children are grateful for the woman their mama is turning into."

Victoria owned her pain. She owned her past. And now she's owning gratitude — not because everything is perfect, but because she's experienced love that expects nothing in return. She's learning to hold thanksgiving and transformation in the same hands.

What It Means to Own Gratitude

Victoria's story shows us what it looks like to own gratitude in the midst of ongoing struggle. Her daughter Alice still faces significant challenges. The road ahead isn't easy. But Victoria has chosen to anchor herself in what is true: she is loved, her children are seen, and God is faithful.

To own gratitude is more than saying "thank you" when things go well. It's choosing thankfulness in hardship, the way Paul and Silas sang hymns while imprisoned (Acts 16:25). They rejoiced in the midst of uncertainty.  

Victoria's circumstances changed, but her shift began internally — when she chose to let people see Alice, when she chose to share her story, when she chose to receive love without hiding.

When we focus on gratitude instead of our loss, we are recognizing God’s faithfulness. Victoria could focus on the years of loss and shame. Instead, she marvels at being loved for the first time, at her children being accepted, at having stability.

Paul writes to the Colossians, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts... And be thankful" (Colossians 3:15–17). Gratitude is an overflow of peace. 

Questions for You

What is one small thing you can choose to thank God for today, even if your situation hasn't changed?

Like Victoria, what might shift if you allowed others to see the parts of your life you've kept hidden?

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness, even in seasons when I don't feel it. Help me own gratitude — not just with my lips, but in my heart and actions. Open my eyes to see Your faithfulness. Give me a heart that overflows with thanksgiving and shares it freely. In Jesus' name, Amen.