Real Forgiveness

Meet Brenda, a teacher at Mashakili school, and one of the women who attends the bible study I have on Wednesday. Most importantly, she is the woman who has taught me what grace and redemption really are in their purest form.

Imagine if you will, moving to a part of the country that is far from home, meeting a man who you thought was the love of your life, and believed you would marry. Then picture finding out that you are pregnant after dating this man for two years, and you’ve begun to notice he seems to have no interest in marriage or a family. While dealing with the guilt of having a child outside of marriage and losing friends who judge you for your mistakes, he leaves you. To make matters worse you learn of his infidelity and he wants nothing to do with the child, AND he lives in the next town, so you must face him weekly. You are left alone, working full time with a infant.

That is just part of Brenda’s story. When she looked at me through tears running down her face, there is no anger. No bitterness or shame. Only peace. She smiled a smile that lit up the entire school, and says, “God is a God of second chances , and my son is such a blessing.” She goes onto tell me how she wants me to pray with her for the father of her child, that she will find God as she has. You see, the most important part of Brenda’s story is she gave her life to Christ in our church about two months ago, and she has been this incredibly bright light for His love and grace ever since.

We have been walking through Proverbs 31 in our Wednesday bible study, talking about how to be Godly women, mothers, wives, and friends. This is not something that is not studied in churches here in Zambia, so for many like Brenda, this was her first experience. I don’t believe that it has been a coincidence that God led me to teach this part of scripture. She said it has been like salve on her heart, and she believes God has redeemed her. I simply couldn’t hug her tight enough.

I ask all of you to keep praying for our ministry, walls are coming down, barriers are being broken, and hearts are being changed. For those of you who have been praying, from the bottom of my heart thank you, Brenda would not be standing where she is without you.