Martha Mkhize
Worth Noting:
- In this book, the author takes us through her childhood years in South Africa. She goes on to explain how the political unrests of the mid ’70s in South Africa led her parents to take her to Swaziland (now called eSwatini) where she attended school up to Grade 12 (O-Levels).
- At Evelyn Baring High School, she showed great potential by excelling in her studies and therefore decided to study Electrical Engineering. Coming back to South Africa, she had to do her A-Levels before admission into university.
- Due to her good grades, she was accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in South Africa, St. John’s College and also got a bursary as her father could have never afforded to pay the fees at the school.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The book Greater Than Regret is a memoir aimed at encouraging people who have made poor choices in their lives, to ‘Take Back Their Lives’ and pursue their God given purposes. It is also aimed at a young person, that smartness in class alone may not be sufficient without the guidance of a mentor. Be it a teacher, pastor, community worker etc. Someone who’s got your back and will provide you with balanced counsel.
In this book, the author takes us through her childhood years in South Africa. She goes on to explain how the political unrests of the mid ’70s in South Africa led her parents to take her to Swaziland (now called eSwatini) where she attended school up to Grade 12 (O-Levels). At Evelyn Baring High School, she showed great potential by excelling in her studies and therefore decided to study Electrical Engineering. Coming back to South Africa, she had to do her A-Levels before admission into university. Due to her good grades, she was accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in South Africa, St. John’s College and also got a bursary as her father could have never afforded to pay the fees at the school.
On the second year of her A-Levels, she got involved with an evangelistic group and started neglecting her school work. It also turned out that she was going to get married. This turned her life upside down where she found herself so overwhelmed that she was unable to focus in class. Even though she passed her A-Levels and got admitted into university, it was not for her first choice course, Electrical Engineering, but her second choice, Physics. As you read through her account of events, she explains what happened when she did not take up her position at university that year and her struggles with her sponsors who had already paid 60% of the fees. Her staying at home and having to find a job. Learning dressmaking in order to make a living and eventually getting married. She takes us through challenges in her marriage until the marriage was dissolved. Which left her wondering if God had forsaken her since He allowed all this to happen? Nevertheless, she did get a good job which helped her raise her children even though at some stage she had a garnishee order placed on her salary. She takes us through coming out of debt, single motherhood and ill-health.
But it is not all doom and gloom. She comes to the realization of her mistake all those years back, which caused her all this regret, whilst preparing a lunch time sermon at her work. She repents, asks for restoration and has to go through a process of forgiving herself and those she blamed. Things start turning around. As she writes this book to share her journey, she looks for her high school friends and gets much motivation and shame seeing how well they’ve done.
At 50 years old, she decides to enroll for a qualification in Psychology through UNISA. She puts money together to buy 10 cows from one of her former classmates and is still holding her full-time job as a Senior Systems Analyst as well as promoting her book at every opportunity. She now lives by her motto ‘TAKING BACK MY LIFE’.
Age is just a number; lives can be turned around for a greater purpose. Don’t give up! Your poor choice might differ from mine, but you can still come out strong. Get a copy of this book and be inspired. I can be found on the following:
Whatsapp: +27838787273
Facebook: Martha Mkhize
Twitter: @mkhizemartha
IG: Martha Mkhize
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About the Author
