The story of a praying mother and growing up on the right foundation was evident throughout Quanna Harris’ testimony on a recent episode of Shena Power Talk.
Harris, describing her “dancehall era,” said there was a point in her life when she enjoyed going to the dance. She and her best friend, she recalled, “wherever the drum pan licked,” would be there, and they would ensure they were “in the video light.”.
Although she grew up in a Christian home—her mother being a prophetess—she had all the right principles but had never committed her life to the Lord.
“I was not baptised or anything; our mother just instilled Christ in us and told us about God and told us about what will happen if we accept the Lord as our Saviour, but I didn’t at the time,” she reminisced to the talk show host.
She continued that at a young age she was introduced to God and knew of Him. She vividly recalls her mother having a vibrant prayer life—praying not just for her and her siblings and other relatives but also neighbours and their children as well early in the morning.
Harris, who hails from off Washington Boulevard—Drewsland, said she got married at an early age—22 to be exact—to her high school boyfriend. There were lessons there too as she continued going to parties, and if her husband didn’t want to go, she would still go with her bestie.
Her strict and godly upbringing saw her clinging to the Christian values instilled in her, as although she enjoyed going to parties, she never drank, never danced, and never smoked, and that stance saw her being the designated driver every time they went out.
Her marriage fell apart little by little as she shared that going to parties she got a lot of attention.
“Men were coming up to me, looking at me, looking nice, looking good, but at that time I did love my husband, and so even when they were coming and looking, I never listened or went with them,” she highlighted, adding that she went home and told her husband, who she said was very laid back.
She revealed that her constant need to go to parties contributed to the problems in her marriage. Eventually, things escalated into a big fight, and she ended up at the hospital with a “bust up” face that required stitches. That incident was the end of her marriage, as they broke up afterwards.
“I went into depression, and a lot of persons did not know this. I was so depressed, I would cry for days and nights in my room, and when I came out and talked to my family members, (at the time I was at my family member’s house), she noted.
Harries stressed, adding that on the outside she was happy and chirpy, laughing at everything, but in those quiet moments by herself, it was a different matter.
She even entertained the thoughts of suicide, something she said her family would be hearing for the first time in the interview.
“I was so depressed, I started going to more parties—more and more. I started to go to parties like every second, whenever the drum pan licked, mi deh a di party,” she confessed.
Surprisingly enough, Harris shared that on the weekends she attended parties, and Sunday morning would catch her and her friend in church. They both ‘juggled’ the two—partying hard and being in church Sunday morning.
She was on this trajectory when God showed up in her life. She recalled being at a party called Chug It when she heard a voice: “This is how you are going to live.”
She thought it was a young man who was beside her yapping away; she looked, and no one said anything to her.
“I started to look out, and when I looked, it was like I was not there; it was like I was above everyone, and I was looking, and when I was looking, I saw revellers; I saw the men drinking, and they were drunk, and they were dropping dirt on the floor, and it was like I saw things just coming and taking them,” she related, stating that she kept wondering what it all could mean.
She then heard a voice telling her to leave, and she quickly indicated to her friends that she was ready.
After going home that night, she tried to think what it all meant. However, the fear soon left her, and she and her bestie were back in the dancehall, this time at an All Black event.
This time it was her bestie who “got into spirit” at the party.
“When I saw it, I said, ‘What is going on with her?” she said, adding that she grabbed her friend and ran as the cameras were heading her way. They both made the decision that they would not return.
Highlighting that they were going to party and church, she admitted that God ‘handcuffed’ her as she was already in His Kingdom and He was not going to let her go.
“I made a decision I’m going to start going to church every Sunday, and I stopped going to the party because I was afraid. I started to go to church every Sunday. I was in church every Sunday,” she said, admitting that she still did not surrender her life to the Lord.
One morning while getting ready for church, she heard the distinct sound of the Lord speaking, “You have to go to the altar today.” She argued that she would not and got no response.
True to her word, Harris tried to leave church without going to the altar, but the Holy Spirit redirected her steps; she ended up there surrendering to the Lord!
When she shared the experience with her mother, she was not surprised as her mom revealed revealed for the first time that she had been offering constant prayers for her to submit to the Lord.
Harris confessed that although there were times when she “dropped” by doing wayward things, she never stopped but kept recommitting.
Today, she hosts a YouTube show called ‘Real Talk Jamaica’ where some powerful stories are shared.
Being Christian, Harris said, doesn’t make things easier, but the knowledge that God will see her through is enough.
