The world race is messy.
It forces you to deal with the hard things.
It takes away the distractions that you usually turn to instead of God.
So this past week we were at a squatter camp going around and meeting people. We came across this home with a mama (middle aged woman) that was home. We asked if we could talk with her and she said “yes”.
Her name was Elizabeth and she’s 52 years old. She shared her story with us and how she ended up living in the squatter camps.
She explained how she was born and raised in South Africa and that she stopped school in high school. She got married right out of high school and started having kids right away.
She goes to church every week but doubted if God was with her some days. Her husband and her both had jobs which she was thankful for because so many people in the squatter camps can’t find work. BUT they just couldn’t seem to make enough money to leave.
Also her husband was not faithful to her. Multiple times he would leave her to be with other women then would come back to her. She said she almost wish that he would divorce her just so she didn’t have to live like that. I could hear the pain in her voice.
It made me tear up. She felt stuck. She felt angry. She was confused. She was hurt. She didn’t feel God. She doubted if He was even still there.
Boy did I resonate with her. Last week I received news that I wasn’t ready to receive. It took me by shock. Honestly I was angry, upset and confused with God.
It brought up a lot of pain I had during a previous season when I lost my dad. In that season I wrestled with God I doubted if he was really there some days.
My teammate Sarah and an intern shared scripture that touched Elizabeth and I. It’s crazy how I was the one going out to share Jesus with someone and they were able to say something that spoke directly to me and my heart. I could tell Elizabeth received the encouragement well and so did I.
In the book of Job it talks about how he suffered and went through many trials. He was a man that had great faith but even he doubted and wrestled with God.
For me I’ve been continually having to remind myself that God is in control and that He is sovereign. Sometimes it’s easier to say than believe. Trust is a daily thing.
It’s crazy that same day I saw a house that had Lucy spray painted on the side. Fun fact: my dad would call me Lucy all the time. It made me smile and thank God. It’s crazy how He gives me little things in my day that remind me of my dad.
Then later that day we were talking with a couple about God and reading our favorite scriptures. Mine being psalm 23. Then at the end of talking we asked if we could pray with them. The woman was a christian but her husband wasnt. We asked if He wanted a relationship with God and he said “today I want one”, so we were able to pray with him and see him give his life to Christ.
