From Despair to Delight

For the widows living in the poor villages of southern Egypt, life is a series of tragedies that makes it extremely difficult to see past the trauma and the pain. Leah is a woman from one of these villages who has only known hopelessness. For much of her life, she has struggled to find her way out of one desperate situation after another. When her husband found himself in a violent altercation with a Muslim man that ended in the man’s death, Leah had to face yet another seemingly insurmountable challenge. Her husband was sent to prison and under Egyptian law faces execution. Leah was left with two daughters and no way to care for them and she lived in fear that the Muslim family would seek revenge for her husband’s actions. Her suffering was made excruciatingly worse when the landlord kicked her out of their home and she was forced to leave her village. Adding to their hardship was the deformity Leah’s daughter was born with. She could not walk properly due to her misshapen feet, thus making their perilous journey much more difficult. Though she was terrified, ashamed, and completely broken, Leah led her children to her uncle’s village, and though poor himself, he took pity on them and let them stay in one of his rooms. A short time later, her life took a turn in a new direction when she met a Christian woman doing outreach with our national church planting partners in the south of Egypt. The two women established a relationship based on genuine friendship and love. Leah and her daughters accepted Jesus as Saviour and have experienced the hope and peace that only comes from knowing Him. She meets once a month with the Christian worker, and Leah has been given a fresh start with a new home and work project that will, eventually, provide her with financial independence. Her daughter was taken to see a doctor who confirmed that she needed surgery right away or she may never walk again. The Lord has remained faithful and He has seen them through every difficult step in rebuilding their lives, including blessing them with the money for the expensive surgery.

In James 1:17, we read: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

We serve a God who remains unchanging in His desire to provide for His children. Now Leah knows that her heavenly Father is the Giver of every perfect gift she receives.