There are some people that grab ahold to your heart. Without any warning, they reserve for themselves a special place that no one else can touch. We see so much devastating things here in India. We have seen countless people with so many needs. So many in poverty, with deformities, illnesses, spiritual oppression, etc. And I haven’t forgotten a one. I remember them and continue to pray for them. 7 that can’t have babies, 9 blind, 2 with breast cancer (or something because they wanted me to grab their boobs), kids and women with epilepsy, demon possessed, a boy in a wheelchair, 2 with heart problems, 3 that had broken bones that were never set and healed incorrectly (extremely heartbreaking to see someone walking on a leg that is completely out of place in 2 spots and still has to walk on it), lady with liver issues who looks extremely malnourished with a lot of ascites, people with tumors, and the list can go on and on. Although, I pray for each of these… there are some that I have an abundance of love for that I can never stop thinking of or praying for.
That sweet lady, Martha, that night who lost her daughter, blind, who was crouched over, weak, malnourished, and crying in desperation of what her family had to go through- she STOLE MY HEART! When I was holding her and we were both weeping, I felt like my heart was ripping out of my chest. I didn’t want to leave her. I wanted to continue to just hold her all night and let her know that she is loved and let her know that she is seen. God loves her and He sees her! We were filled with a supernatural love and continued to pray and think about her even after we left.
Drew and I told the pastor at the end of the night that we wanted to come back and give her family food. At first he told us no, this village are all chain smokers and alcoholics. They don’t go to church. I told him, no this lady said she is catholic. She can’t go to church, because she can’t walk and has no way of getting there. He probablly didn’t understand what we were exactly saying because of language barriers, and told that they lie and really only watch t.v. all day. We were quite frustrated with his response. Either way we told him, “we feel called to bring them food. Her and her family are very poor and malnourished, the kids have to work and can’t go to school and are under 10 years old, and all we want is for you to bring us back to bring them food.” He didn’t love the idea, but agreed.
So two days after that night, we went to buy her family some bananas and apples. We went to the village and it was another frustrating event. We told the pastor we know where it is…um wait let me rephrase that, haha DREW knows where it is, ha! He just ignored us and went from place to place asking people for directions. He asked many people if they knew of the lady and they would bring us to the wrong place. They took us all around, but it wasn’t the same house. Finally, Drew got off the motorcycle, while the pastor was talking to people and started walking towards her house. So I got off and followed and the pastor eventually also followed. We made it to her house! Praise Jesus for Drew’s navigation skills! Yay! Finally!!!
She wasn’t in her one room shack. We checked around and saw her sitting in the back of a cart that people pull behind a bicycle, and saw her son-in-law nearby who Drew had prayed for a couple nights before. We saw her and there was such a relief to have found this treasure we have went through so much to find again. We saw her and although we could tell it was her she looked different! She wasn’t slouched over anymore. She was smiling and looking directly at us. Her whole countenanace had changed. Drew told the pastor to tell her, (and her son-in-law and family, as people were gathering around) that God told us to bring her these fruits.
The pastor told her and she was so happy and thankful. Then she said something to him and pointed to her eyes. He translated for us- “She said after you guys left, that this week God gave her new eyes.” We were so excited, we were dorking out! We both said-“I knew it!” We could tell! She went from having cloudy white eyes to beautiful brown eyes! Because she had new eyes and now could see, her mannerisms also were different. She wasn’t reaching out towards us to find us. She was looking at us in the eyes! She was sooo beautiful! I was filled with so much thankfulness! What an amazing God we serve! He loves this beautiful lady and worked a miracle in her life.
(Look at those beautiful new eyes and at how much joy and strength she has! I so wish we could have gotten a pic only 2 days before so people could see how different she looks.)
What a blessing to be used to love on His people and be His hands and feet and get to see Him move so mightily in people’s lives. We were thinking and it hit us- sometimes obedience is for our own sake just as much as others. Yes we came back and gave them some fruit and let them know that we haven’t forgotten about them, and that is great. But, if we hadn’t listened to God and the burden to go back, we would have never known of the miracle He did and would have missed out on such a big blessing. Today I’m praising God for breaking our hearts for what breaks His. For God being the God of the universe and still wanting such an intimate relationship with us. I’m praising Him for the cross and for everything He overcame by the blood of Jesus! Oh Victory in Jesus! My Savior forever! I adore You and am in awe of Your love! Because of You I will never be the same!
