Healing for a Broken Home
Photo by Gospel for Asia
Shouts disrupted the worship service. The neighbors were at it again. It seemed the married couple was always fighting. Peace looked like a complete stranger to the household, and joy a forgotten virtue. GFA-supported woman missionary Sabita didn't see this as an annoyance to the meetings she helped conduct, however. She saw it as an opportunity to share the peace of Jesus, the One who could restore and heal.
Missionary Visits Broken Home
Hoping to help, Sabita visited Hema and shared with her the compassion of God. Hema was a little suspicious of Sabita at first, but she didn't turn her away. She even took some literature that Sabita offered. Sabita could tell Hema needed encouragement and hope because of this, and she felt compelled by God to invest in Hema's forlorn and sorrowful life.
Hema's (pictured) life was full of strife. Her husband, who was often intoxicated, beat her, and they quarreled often. During prayer meetings which were held nearby, people could hear their constant fighting.
Sabita continued to visit Hema, believing her time spent in sharing God's precious promises would lighten Hema's struggling, heavy heart. As they got to know each other, Hema's suspicions of the missionary melted, and she opened up. She told Sabita about their constant quarreling, her husband, Talat's, drunkenness and how he would often beat her if he felt angry. She was worried about their children, as they too were being led by this constant example.
Finding Strength in God's Word
Through her visits, Sabita faithfully brought words of comfort to Hema's love-longing heart, and when she was especially discouraged, Sabita prayed for her. Whenever Sabita prayed, Hema felt at ease and happy.
As Hema continued to see the love of God through Sabita, she was filled with faith to trust Jesus as the One who brings peace and hope, the One who could answer prayer, even for her drunken husband. But she was afraid to tell her husband about the hope she found, so she kept silent.
Through Her Quiet Spirit
Over time, a friendship between the two women bloomed. Sabita continued to visit Hema at her home to encourage her through God's Word, like these women are doing.
Continuing to be a constant and true friend to Hema as she shared her fears, Sabita had some advice to give her from God's Word. Taking Sabita's advice, Hema began to pray for Talat to stop his destructive habit of drinking. She cried out to the Lord and sometimes spent time fasting for her husband. Many times, Hema thought it would be impossible for Talat to ever be released from the grasp of his strong addiction, but Hema continued to pray in her weakness, asking the Lord to give her strength to believe and press on.
Meanwhile, there was a change in Hema's life. When Talat did things she didn't like, Hema didn't flare back as she once had. The fighting ceased and peace started to make its home among the chaos that once held its ground. Instead of acting out in anger or returning evil for evil, Hema responded in love and kindness as God gave her strength to tolerate the harsh things done to her. God was changing her through His Word and working through her prayers. Although Hema wasn't aware, God was moving in Talat's heart through her gentle spirit.
Drastic Change Not Unseen
One day, Talat asked Hema what had happened. She had become loving and kind towards him, and he wanted to know how and why. Since he was in a good mood, Hema jumped at the opportunity to speak words of truth and love to her husband.
She told him how his drinking had hurt their family and was a bad influence on their children. She shared how happy she would be to have a husband who took good care of her and the children. Her words, spoken with love and kindness, won Talat's heart over. Little by little, through Hema's prayers, love, encouragement and the power of God, Talat quit drinking.
During one of Sabita's visits, Talat heard God's Word and was moved. As time went on, he began to realize for himself that Jesus is the One who had changed his wife so drastically. He wanted this same transformation in his own life.
Hema's life had changed, and her husband, (pictured), Talat saw the changing power of Jesus. Because of her example, he too found for himself the hope of God and stopped drinking.
Today Hema and Talat no longer fight during worship services but attend them joyfully. Hema loves to tell her story, how nothing is impossible with God . . . not even a drunken husband.
Send a Voice of Hope
Women missionaries are dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus's love with women in need and want of love.
A woman missionary can bring hope to hopeless women, like Sabita did. She can speak into a woman's life and sympathize with her emotions and needs well. You can be part of touching lives of women in Asia, too! Prayerfully consider supporting the work of a GFA-supported women missionaries today, and make an impact that lasts into eternity!
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are GFA stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
