Harold Chaala is one of the hottest Christian artists coming out of South Africa today. In just two years, Harold has already sung his way into the hearts of people in Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. He's been featured in mainstream music-TV shows and has had three number one songs from his first album Universal Love.

Parents walked away.

His parents walked away.
With all this fame, you'd think this young pop star had it all. But he said his success isn't the result of having it all … it's the result of losing it all.

Harold said his journey of pain started the day his parents walked away.

"This used to hurt me, and anger and bitterness would build up in me," said Harold. "It's hard when you're born in a family and you see your friends, their parents traveling with them, playing with them. But for you … you rarely get to see your father or your mother and you keep wondering, are you a mistake? Do they want you around? You always want to find someone to blame, and every time, it would always be my mother who'd come to mind and I'd just go into a corner and begin crying."

Harold Chaala

Harold Chaala, Christian music artist
Harold stayed with an uncle who drank and hit him on a regular basis. This just increased the pain and bitterness.

"The rejection continues, and you just keep getting a hitting," said Harold. "You have got nowhere to run. You've got nowhere to go. You don't know God … so you can't run to God.

"I would go to church," he continued. "I've been to a lot of churches looking for answers, but it was really hard, it was really, really hard. I was looking for solutions. I was looking for answers. I couldn't get the answers."

Attended a lot of churches

My yoke is easy ...
Harold kept searching and finally got the answer. It wasn't found in a church building or a religion. It was found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

"I found in Him the love that I couldn't get as a child," said Harold, "the love that I couldn't get anywhere. The Lord embraced me and I had so much joy. My heart started changing. God started melting the bitterness, the hurt. And God started doing a new thing in my life. You know, God started ministering to me that He is the Father to the fatherless and God is able to embrace you even in your pain.

Found the answer

"And God wasn't demanding anything from me. God wasn't saying come with this, come with that, but just as you are, come to me. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. And I put it down, and the Father came in and He touched me and He transformed me.

Harold with Terry Meeuwsen
Today, Harold writes songs to encourage people in the midst of their pain.

Hey, my love, saw you cry. You were down, never knew my love was there for you. In spite of it all, I gave my life just so you could be free. If you call to me, I'll always be a light to you. I will dry your tears away… just call my name.

Chaala

"It's a song of healing, it's an answer," said Harold. "God is giving you a solution. You see, that's the beauty with God. Situations don't just come. God always has the solution because Jesus is the answer. The moment you accept Him He comes and takes away the pains and says why do you cry?"

On stage
You don't have to cry, you can be happy!

Harold knows that life won't ever be completely pain-free. Living in South Africa, he's been mugged three times, car-jacked, and almost killed … all in a matter of a few months. Through this, Harold has learned an important lesson about suffering.

You are my rose...

"God ministered to me. He owes me nothing," said Harold. "The moment you realize that God owes you nothing, then you can't be bitter with God. And just say, Lord, I thank you for what I'm going through. I thank you that you're about to do something new in my life. You're teaching me something. Father, show me why this is happening and I pray that you comfort me."

You are my rose ...
Harold says comfort comes when you truly understand that no matter how people treat you -- even your own parents -- you matter to God.

In performance

When you wake up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror, tell yourself you are a rose -- you're special. It doesn't matter what anyone else says about you … I'm a rose.

"God gave me a prophetic word to the Body of Christ," said Harold. "He says, 'You are my rose.'"

You are my rose, forever my love. You are the smile, the apple of my eye. You are, you are my love I can never replace cause I love you so.

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