Up Close & Personal

October 23, 2009



It's one thing to read about injustice & abuse in the paper; it's another to see it right under your nose. By some miracle, I still don't find myself "hating" or stereotyping people. God has given me a compassion that allows me to not generalize characteristics among certain groups of people. He has tenderized my heart and I pray it will continue to be so, even after stories like this one.



I wrote about the American businessman who was beaten after he tried to help a housemaid who had been raped. This same gentleman sent a panicked email after receiving a threat from one of the perpetrators of the crime who was also a police: he was told to leave the country or he may find himself in a deep hole in the sand in the middle of the desert. This man packed up and left the same day, as he felt the situation to be urgent. It saddens me deeply as this gentleman was truly concerned about the plight of foreign workers here. He had been negotiating with their agency to get them ONE DAY off per month, as till now, they had worked 7 days/week. We can do nothing but PRAY, yet I am convicted when I say "nothing BUT" as God may be teaching me it is not by power, or by might, but by Him alone that change will happen.



Today my neighbor's maid came over to bring back a dish and she took time to visit. As she poured out her heart, I was again saddened and hit with how powerless I am. As she shared her experience, she told me her husband was a Baptist and he used to read to her from the Bible. I asked if she had one, and she told me the agency took it away when she came to this country. As I was about to give her one, I was cautioned by Robert that I first needed to check the rules on such matters: I knew we could not give the Bible to a Muslim, but perhaps to a non Muslim it was okay? In the meantime, I prayed with her and read to her from Psalm 30 where David poured out his grief to God, who turned his mourning into dancing. I'm beginning to understand the strong pull that many disadvantaged believers have towards heaven! We are so content here, we barely give heaven a thought...not so for these dear brothers and sisters! What a joy to be able to pray for her strength and refreshment. The Holy Spirit will be her Comforter, I can give her a hug and a prayer. God, please let that be enough.