A Woman's Eyes

I remember sitting in a small, primitive room surrounded by some of the most beautiful women and children that I had ever seen. Our team was in a camp in Calcutta that housed refugees from Bangladesh. My mind couldn't even comprehend the desperation that would cause people to flee to this city that had so much poverty and homelessness of its own. But here they were, sitting in a clean and quiet room that was a refuge from the devastating poverty and hopelessness outside.

I listened to my friends on the team tell Bible stories to the children. The children sat quietly and were engaged with an intensity that is rarely seen in American children. When it was my turn, I spoke to the beautiful women dressed in bright colors seated around me. Even using a translator didn't slow the flow of the words given by the Holy Spirit. God had kept me awake prayer and studying the whole night before in preparation for this time with these women. He had a message of love and forgiveness for them that flowed out of my weary, overwhelmed body.

In the sea of sadness and hungry eyes, there was one set of eyes that glowed with an inner fire. They were set in a luminous face and pierced me with the intensity of attentiveness. After the time with the group was over, I sought out that woman with an interpreter. "What is God doing in your heart?" I asked her. She replied, "I love Jesus and believe in Him already."

I should have known. This woman living in the midst of such squalor, despair and hopelessness displayed purity, joy and hope because of her relationship with her resurrected, very-alive, present and working Lord Jesus.

My pastor yesterday encouraged us to be surprised and delighted again by the resurrection. He reminded us that the disciples considered the women's words about Jesus' missing body as foolishness even though Jesus Himself had told them several times of His coming resurrection. Instead of looking expectantly ahead during the days after Jesus' death, they had fallen into their own despair.

I look into the eyes of women around me. I see despair that doesn't come from crippling poverty or extreme hunger. This is America. We're fat and sassy, after all. But the despair is still undeniable. Marriages are crumbling, children are straying, jobs are disappointing, lovers are leaving... These women, too, need to be surprised by the resurrection. They too need to run to a Living Lord. I hope that your prayer will be like mine. I want to be a carrier of the news of a risen Jesus just like Mary Magdalene on that first glorious day.

I also have friends who continue to carry Jesus' message and the Holy Spirit to those in literal physical despair. Encouraging Words, Inc. is a non-profit organization seeking to respond to the educational and physical needs of the world's children and their communities while giving each a chance to experience personal hope in Jesus. Because of their work in closed countries, they don't have a website that I can give you a link to, but I'm asking for each reader today to take a moment to pray for them. They are leaving in about a week, but many financial needs are unmet. Please pray that God in His riches would meet them all. If you feel moved to give after praying, please contact me directly, and I will put you in touch with this worthy ministry. I rejoice that they are going to surprise the needy with the resurrection of Jesus and His care for their lives!