God’s Love, Not Bound by Circumstance

I have met a countless number of people over the past seven months.  I have had the honor of hearing many peoples stories, both tragic and triumphant, heartbreaking and heartwarming.  But as I listened to Meow’s story this afternoon something in me was stirring, “This story must be shared!” was the scream in my spirit.  As our conversation grew to a close I asked her if it was okay for me to share her story on my blog, her answer was “yes”, she knows the power of the testimony of what the Lord has done in her life.  So here is the story of my new friend Meow…

Meow was sitting at the welcome table of the church we went to this afternoon for a Christmas service.  She was so nice and we struck up a conversation right away.  She told me about how she was working with a ministry that reaches out to lady-boys.  “Lady-boy” is a term used here for transgendered men who are prostituting themselves in the bars, some of them have had surgery to alter their gender but all dress as women.  She told me that she had been working with people with HIV and many of them were lady boys.  Meow has so much light and love you can see it on her face!!  She works educating people about HIV and counseling them.  She has been a believer for 5 years, I asked her how she met God and Meow proceeded to tell me her story…

“I am a lady boy, and five years ago I found out I was HIV possessive.  I am not ashamed to share this because I know Christ.”(paraphrase)  Meow was so honest, she was walking in the forgiveness of the Father.  And she shines.  She went on, “When I found out the results to the test I was hopeless, my friend was with me and she just started singing worship songs over me and encouraging me.  I went to church with her, the pastor asked me if I wanted to surrender my life to Christ, I said “no” that time; but a few weeks later I went to him and told him I was ready to dedicate my life to Christ.” (paraphrase) And she did just that, she’s been dedicated for the past five years to serving God’s people and He has provided for her in huge ways to study English and reach out to this ostracized group of people.  She told me about how she had gone from working in the bars to volunteering in the HIV clinic and reaching out to men and women she could so closely relate to. Then I was a able to pray with her and speak with one of her friends on the phone in another province and encourage him in his work at an HIV center.  Meow story of redemption and a changed life was so moving to me.  She has so much hope and excitement for what the Lord is doing and so much love for people.  There are many lessons that I took from her story.  God is love.  Love is not something the God we serve does; it’s WHO HE IS.