Strength

                WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW? Her husband would yell in his drunken fits, as his fists hammered a beating on her petite framed body. WHERE IS YOUR JESUS?

This is just one of many stories that I have heard like this from her. And her name is Strength. She is a born again Believer, and she is one of the shop owners on the beach. If you were just a tourist and didn’t take the time to know her, you would just see this cute little shop, really cool Indian souvenirs, and this young Indian woman sitting out facing the beach, asking you to come in, making her living from selling these neat gifts to you. She is so friendly, always smiling, always laughing. She will show you anything in her little shop which you want to see, and that involves her taking most of it all off the shelf and unfolding it for you to admire and potentially buy. You may or may not purchase anything, but it was a great experience and you would probably want to go back, or you may never see her again.

If you really got to know Strength, and formed a relationship with her, you would probably see things in a different light. You would still see this cute little shop, but you would know how high the rent is and how she alone is struggling to pay for it, AND support her family. You would know that she gets little sleep and keeps her shop open until about 10 at night. You would know that she is 27 and has two sons who she is putting through school. You would know that she has a husband who has NO job, and steals her hard-earned money to go waste it and himself at the bar all day, sometimes she said starting from 7 in the morning to late at night. You would hear about how badly he would beat her, especially now that she’s a new Believer and he is still Hindu. And you could hear the way she talks about her Jesus! And this has been her life for a while. But now, theres a new frame in this picture. You would know that she’s tested HIV positive, and is currently struggling with TB, Tuberculosis. And you could hear about, because of her being sick, how her husband gives her an even harder time now. How her mother, who is still Hindu, will not let her rest because she thinks it will make her sicker.  You would know that she’s not eating much so her children can eat, and now the money that needs to go to rent is going to pay hospital bills.

But what you should REALLY see is her heart. At first the TB really scared her. You know she thought about her family, her shop, her life. It broke your heart when she was sobbing in your arms as you prayed for her. But she has Jesus. And she grabbed hold of Him and the hope that is in Him, and she found her peace. She knew, and said that this was just temporary suffering in this life, but that she has an incredible joy and treasure with Christ waiting for her.

 She gets it! She understands this life! Something I know many of us struggle with comprehending. But it takes Faith, not head knowledge.

She is taking medicine for her TB and the doctors said (PRAISE Jesus) that it is at a controllable stage. Her voice is still quite raspy, and her doctor instead of being at his office for her appointment is off on a 10 day holiday for Diwali. You’ll go to see her and she will insist, or rather make you sit in a chair while she takes the floor. We bring her protein shakes to build up her strength, and she goes and buys us chai. She may get no sleep at night and can be nearly falling asleep in her shop, but when you go in she is all smiles and laughter. And oh the way her face lights up when she talks about Jesus! About how God is taking care of her and how He is in control, and how He provides. You will see her dedication as she prays and BELIEVES that her family will all come to Christ. How God will change her husbands heart. You will see her. You will see her heart. She does not allow her present circumstances determine how content she is in Christ. I am so honored to know her. And I am so excited about spending eternity rejoicing and praising God in Heaven with her. She is such a light. God WILL bless her, He WILL heal her. And I ask, please, everyone keep her in your prayers. Her name is Strength, and this has just been a tiny 864 word GLIMPS of her life.

                “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the times to come.” — Proverbs 31:25

Worship by campfire on the beach is AMAZING!! If you’ve never watched a lightning storm on the Arabian Sea, you should really check it out.

Love, Meghan

(I really tried to add photos but it wouldn’t work this week 🙁 Sorry!)