A beautiful song, a touching movie or story, and I would melt into tears… How emotional I was!

The world taught me to live by feelings, to follow my heart.

Oh, the heart… It led me to so many choices in life… An exciting career—medicine! In spite of the difficulties of a poor childhood, I managed to attend the Medical School of the University of São Paulo.

A love for life—I married the man I fell in love with.

Children—four: three biological and one adopted.

But one day, my fairy tale turned into a nightmare. My world collapsed. I felt as if the ground had been taken from under my feet. I no longer led a happy life. My husband and I broke up and lost my financial stability; my children, now in their teens, became angry about the whole situation and started to fight each other.

The heart that once had been full of hope, joy and love, became full of depression, panic attacks, fear, anxiety, sadness, grief and despair.

What to do amidst so much pain?

My feelings just dragged me down. I no longer had the strength to manage my career, let alone look after my children. I could not leave my dark room!

And it was in that room, with the windows closed and the lights off, that I just barely managed to keep myself alive. I was but a rag, seeking help in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy and antidepressants, which were constantly on my nightstand.

And from this same nightstand came the light at the end of the tunnel: my small radio, which I used to entertain myself in an effort to relieve the pain. While trying to tune in to a radio station, I heard a beautiful prayer. I wrote down the address and went there.

The building was being refurbished, it didn’t even have a sign over the door, but I went inside and participated in the service. It wasn’t like anything I had ever seen before; I found it very strange. I thought they were crazy. Then I found out I was at the UCKG, and so I had no doubt that they were crazy!

When I got home, I spoke to my son (he was only 12 at the time) about what had happened. He insisted that he also wanted to know the Church.

So we both went there and, at the end of the service, I told him we would not visit that place anymore—it was all too weird, and I would end up getting even worse. It was then that my son said to me:

– Mom, have you not noticed that after the prayer you stopped crying?

He was just a child and, in all of his innocence and completely free from prejudice, he used his common sense to consider one fact: for the first time in two years I was feeling better!

I decided to listen to what the pastor said, and started to put into practice the greatest teaching I’ve ever received: to live by intelligent faith, the faith that makes you think, that uses the intellect, not emotion!

The pastor, who made many Portuguese mistakes, taught me things that university did not teach me. How much wisdom came out of the mouth of that simple man!

I had finally found True Wisdom. The pain was gone, as well as all the bad feelings. My life changed completely!

I resumed my career and prospered. My children are also converted; they are a blessing. I do not lack anything. I have a God who fulfills me and teaches me to continue living by an intelligent faith.

I still practice the lessons I’ve learnt at the UCKG, and today I only allow my heart to take me where there are souls suffering like I once was.

I only get emotional when I see the wonders that God has done in my life and in the lives of those who have surrendered to Him. My tears are only of joy and gratitude for having met the wonderful Lord Jesus Christ!

Dr. Eunice Harue Higuchi