A Story of Two Women

I want to share with you the stories of two women with whom I have been meeting for the past seven weeks. In order to protect their privacy, I won't name them. Both are middle-aged women of faith who have been through more than their share of trials, yet God is working in their lives in very different ways.

The first has suffered the tragedies of first losing a young child, then later suddenly losing her husband. These losses were difficult for her, as they would be for anyone. They led her to ask the oft-repeated question, "Why is this happening to me?" However, she was eventually able to accept that she doesn't know the answer, but that she must trust God.

She initially came to our Information Meeting with a friend, not expecting that she would participate in the program. However, she had a good feeling about the meeting and decided to sign up. She has thoroughly enjoyed our discussions, as have I. She has even invited several of her friends to participate. Several times, she has commented about how she has been thinking about what we've been discussing, and a few days ago, she began to realize how little she knew about the Bible. It is easy to see how God is using our conversations to speak to her and to help her to grow in her faith.

The other woman is in the midst of a stormy period in her life. She is divorced, and her job as a waitress provides barely enough income for her and her daughter to live on. The hours she must work are often physically demanding. She recently lost a brother. Her mother and her sister have serious health problems. Her grand-nephew nearly drowned recently and faces the prospect of partial paralysis. What makes these challenges especially difficult is that she has no one to turn to for help.

It has been much more difficult for me to see how God is working in her life, but I believe that he is. I suspect that he wants to use this church to help her. While she has a strong belief in God, she does not have what I would call a church family. In fact, in view of her church experiences, I doubt if she feels a need for one. She does, however, see many needs in her life. I have seen how God has used this church to help with many such needs of other people. It is my prayer that he will do so with her needs as well.

The end of this project is coming quickly. Morris left at the beginning of this week, and I have been working alone (well, not exactly alone - I've been studying with 14 different people, and God has been present throughout). Next weekend, the first follow-up team, Linda and Sandra, will arrive. I will be able to spend a couple of days helping them get settled before I leave them to continue the work. Please pray for them as they prepare to continue this work.