From the moment this woman has entered the earth she has had to fight for her very life. Neglected and rejected she has grown to fend for herself. Working the day away, she suffers with the pain of never being of any worth. She’s looked down upon and abused by all who should have loved her. Never having a father, she knows no man of honor. By fourteen she’s handed off to her cousin who now is her husband. Abuse and neglect do not disappear, but increase. She’s living in fear. At the age of fifteen she is pregnant. Scared, excited, nervous she goes into delivery, only to find that her baby girl is dead. Questions fog her mind and grief grips her heart. Husband is upset, because it was a girl, not a boy. His drinking begins once more and the cycle of abuse plays over again. A second time she is pregnant. Delivering a healthy beautiful baby girl, she is overjoyed. But her family, more upset. Angry, people lay all the guilt on her. And again she’s neglected and abused.
This woman is a hard worker. She strives to take care of her family. Despite the abuse from a drunken husband, she takes care of him. As He drinks the day away, she sweats and toils all day long. With four children now, she makes money to feed their stomachs. With pressure from her family to have more boys, she stands strong, saying four’s enough. The stress to be a mother, a wife, and an owner of her shop is too much to handle. She struggles each day to making enough money to feed her children, husband and herself. As she does, her husband sits at home wasting the day away.
But her faith is what keeps her strong. In the midst of all the stress, hard work and abuse, she stands strong in knowing God loves her and that He will take care of her. Her hopes are fadeless in all circumstances. She knows that the tribulations she faces produce perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-5) She takes it day by day, moment by moment. She presses into the Lord and serves Him. She stands firm, believing that her family and husband will too become believers.
This woman is a strong woman. (Proverbs 31:10-31) This is a woman who is just one of the many, many women here in India. A woman who fights for her life. Not just her own life, but her family’s life. This is a woman who is looked down upon and unwanted by so many. But without her they would perish. This is a woman who loves her husband no matter what and knows that he will be won over to the Lord. (1Peter 3:1-6) This is a woman who lives in Christ alone. A woman who knows that without Him she would be nothing. This is a woman who strives to learn more about Christ. This is a woman whose hope is in the Lord. (Psalm 71:4-6) This is a woman thirsty for more of the Lord. This is a woman by the name of….. Hope.
