It was her smile that captivated me from the beginning. Her smile that spoke of so much heartache and yet so much joy.
There were years of wisdom and experience behind that smile though she couldn’t have been much older than me.
“She is a believer!” The pastor proudly declared.
“Wandanalu (praise the Lord)!” We all exclaimed in unison, placing our hands together before our faces in greeting.
“I am the spoken English teacher, my name is Zereshnu,” she informed us, beaming with pride in her vocational calling.
She smiled with her whole body. From her glittering, brown eyes to the way she stood up on her toes when she started to speak.
There was an incredible story behind the prominence of her cheekbones and the long, slender fingers clasped in front of her.
She had a powerful story and I had to know it.
“What is your testimony?” My teammate asked as if she had read my mind.
With a giggle, she explained her vision from the Lord just a few years ago. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I felt chills coursing through my whole being as she described her experience through her words and through the way she stood so strong and tall.
She had only vaguely heard of a man called Jesus before.
One night, the right hand of God appeared before her and somehow she knew whose hand it was.
Divine revelation at its finest.
She felt and saw the hand touch her gently, mercifully, on the shoulder. God’s strength had been endowed to her.
She heard God whisper in her ear, “Jesus is the One True God and you are my daughter.”
A peace washed over her that she had never felt before. A peace that was beyond comprehension. A peace that only comes from the Savior.
The vision continued in the same way for several nights in a row. When she started attending a Christian church, she knew exactly where the peace had come from and she gave her life over to Jesus.
She decided to take Him at His word.
He is her Savior. She is His daughter.
“How many hours a day do you pray?” She asked me.
I told her that I pray every hour I’m awake. I don’t have a set time.
Her eyes grew wide as she declared that the Holy Spirit was in me and I reminded her that the same Spirit is in her.
“God sent you here at just the right time. We were meant to meet each other…” She mused.
I took that opportunity to ask her the question burning on my heart: What is the most difficult part of being a Christian teacher at a public school in India?
I thought it was difficult in the U.S. but it turns out its even tougher on this side of the globe.
Tears welled up in her pretty brown eyes, “Some of the teachers won’t talk to me because they don’t understand my beliefs. I can’t encourage the children without them saying something first.”
I asked her if she felt alone and she nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes. I imagined they were diamonds because they came from a heart full of the most precious gems.
She added that her husband is not a believer. “He’s always drunk and says bad things to me. He treats me badly. He makes me afraid to be in my home.”
There was a physical ache in my heart for this woman who carries so much pain yet so much joy all at once.
My flesh wanted to tell her to leave her husband but my Spirit had something much more powerful to say.
She is not alone.
She has a Protector.
She is safe in His arms.
His strength is within her.
She doesn’t have to have strength all on her own.
When I told her a part of my story, she looked me in the eye intently.
“Whenever I feel afraid of something, I read Psalm 91 and I remember my favorite verse, Joshua 1:9,” I told her, “It reminds me that God is my Protector and He’s already strong for me.”
God has given her an incredible amount of joy and boldness to work at that school for such a time as this.
Her story reminded me that I can be a teacher too. I felt more empowered to pursue my passion than I ever have.
We are not weak.
God is our strength.
Though we are worlds apart we can still stand in solidarity for Christ together.
If she can do it, I can too.
I will never forget her.
I will always be praying for you.
