Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Handout (04/14/11)
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TITLE: TEARS ON A HANDOUT | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jean Beier
04/17/11 -
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As I had often done, I was praying my poor me, and why God, prayer. Usually I would feel God’s arms enfold me, and His comforting assurance indwelling my heart. But on this particular late Sunday morning, God had no patience with my poor me attitude.
My eyes were drawn to the pamphlet lying on the passenger’s seat. The picture of the woman on it, hit me emotionally, like a ton of bricks. The pamphlet was one of several handouts that were distributed via the church’s sister table.
It was almost impossible to keep my concentration on my driving. I believe it was supernatural protection that got me back home safe and sound. Once home I took up the pamphlet and peered at the picture of the woman. She looked to be a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties. She was blessed with a rich chocolate completion, huge dark eyes, and full lips. Any man or woman would describe her as beautiful.
What made this woman’s photo strike at my heart strings were the giant alligator tears that streamed down her lovely face. Her eyes held nightmarish hurt in them. Her hair and eyebrows were black. Sweat rested on her nose and upper lips, indicating to me that she lived in a hot and maybe desert country. She wore a red covering over her head and around her chin.
As I held the handout in my hands and looked into the woman’s eyes, the tears in my eyes welled up again. Only this time they were not the self pitying tears earlier shed. God had caught my attention to a plight much greater than I had ever known. At the same time He placed a prayer burden upon my heart, one that I still carry with me.
The pamphlet that I held in my hand was one of the 10/40 Window prayer handouts. This one was for women and the girl child in the 10/40 window. The pamphlet explained that the 10/40 window consists of a rectangular-shaped area extending from West Africa to East Asia, from the ten degrees to forty degrees north of the Equator. It is said that 4 billion people live in this area and 90% of the poorest of the poor. One point six billion of them have never had the chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The pamphlet also contained a guide of prayer needs for women and the girl child.
My eyes kept going back to the picture of the woman with the alligator tears. Under the picture read these words: “I WILL NOT KEEP SILENT…I WILL NOT REMAIN QUIET, TILL HER RIGHTEOUSNESS RINGS OUT LIKE THE NEW DAWN, HER SALVATION LIKE A BLAZING TORCH.” ISAIAH 62:1b
On that fall day I learned that sometimes God will use tears to get us to see the real hurts and needs of the world. He used my self pitying tears to equate with the tears of that beautiful anonymous woman on the handout He placed into my possession. On that day, I answered God’s call to pray for salvation for all females of the world, and for compassion, new laws, and new customs to free them from all kinds of abuse, misuse, and torture. I also learned to not ever take handouts for granted. One never knows when it is God’s directive calling.
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