This story hapenned a while ago, but I was just reminded of
it!
I met a hairdresser in one of the towns close-by to here. I
met her through my night guard when my housemate was needing to get her hair
braids repaired. Subsequently, when I wanted to get my hair braided I asked
Joyce* (Her name has been changed) to do mine as well. So there struck up a friendship. When you’re in a
chair being braided for 8 hours, it’s pretty nice way to begin getting to know
someone. We chatted about everything. She’s a spunky young woman who seemed to
have a lot on her mind, but many ideas for her life too. After this first
meeting I went back to visit her several times, just to say hi, while I was
getting my fix of being in ‘real-Africa’. A few weeks later she gave me my
first ever pedicure. It was an interesting experience! Haha.
I also brought her to my house for her to help me to remove
the braids she had put in a month or more before and for dinner!
So, one morning I woke up and as I was praying I began thinking about Joyce. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. So I went to have breakfast. It was holiday time and as I had breakfast I decided I should go and visit her. So, I hopped in my car and off I went the 10 minute drive to Ruaka.
When I arrived at the place of the hairdressing parlour it
was deserted. None of the other shops were open, but I thought I would just go down
the alley and see if Joyce was there. To my shock she was there, sitting alone
beside the doorway of her shop, with tears streaming down her face. She looked
up and had a look of surprise on her face. She jumped up and hugged me with the
biggest hug and smile I’d had/seen in a long time.
So there began my day. I sat with her and asked her what was
wrong. She opened up to me and told me that she was pregnant and the father of
the child had run away with another woman and got married on hearing the news
she was expecting a baby.
She explained her family difficulties and the fact that she
was completely alone and how she still loved this man. She has no friends to support her and her family lives in
Western Kenya and would not be happy with the news she was pregnant. She told
me that her pastor at Church knew and was asking her to keep the baby. Joyce
opened up to me and told me that she wanted to abort the baby as it would be
easier that way. Her other option was suicide. She had no idea how she was
going to support herself and the baby on her limited income. She cried and we
hugged and we talked. I listened to her as she poured her heart out. We prayed
together. We cried out to God and asked for his wisdom. We talked about God’s
love and what He would want in this situation. She was comforted and knew that
she would be fine and that the God of miracles would save her from her
situation.
Joyce then told me something I will never forget. She said “I
was just thinking about you this morning and wishing you were here with me to
talk, and then you arrived! I didn’t even have your number to call you!”.
Isn’t our God amazing! Looking back, the Holy Spirit sent me to Ruaka that day. He sent me there to listen, to be with Joyce in her time of need, to pray with her and to love her. When I looked up, we had been sitting chatting and crying together for more than 3 hours! Not another sole had come into or past the shop in that time. I then asked her if she would mind doing another pedicure on me (as I knew that she desperately needed money and didn’t want to just give her the money for nothing, as mzungus are often seen as ‘money-givers’). She happily agreed so I sat and had a several-hour pedicure. After my pedicure we prayed again and I left her shop. A few days later I found her an encouraging book and took it back to her shop. She seemed grateful for the encouragement and in a much more stable frame of mind.
I am thankful for God leading me to that place on that day.
I am happy that I was able to speak truth to her life and am hoping she was
touched by His words through me.
I always want to be a person who listens and responds to God’s
call on my life. Please stand with me and pray for Joyce over the next few
months, that she’ll find strength, healing and joy and more so that she will
cry out to Him to help her.
I was reminded of several verses from Isiah 61....
ISIAH 61
The Spirit
of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love
justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
X Waithera.
blessing from obedience. God really is great, isn't He?! what a beautiful story!! :)
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