In the Middle of Our Own Pain...

Life goes on.  It just does.  At times I wish life would stop and let us catch our breath, but it doesn't.

My husband's cousin, Lilly, is still here.  Next week is her last week with us.  Just tonight, after an exhausting day, she sat up with me late at night asking questions.  She wondered if in this country families are just more loving... and I smiled.  No.  It is just that the people we hang with are Christians - believers, real Christians, not just people who say a name.  The people I work with are not like these people we have been with.  Again we talked about following Jesus being about heart change and that is reflected in their lives.

After a few minutes, she asked me what my husband's family believed.  She said, "I stayed with the for a summer, too, but I didn't see any evidences of any belief in God in them at all."  I carefully answered that with the truth and with great respect for my in-laws.  They basically believe that there is a God, but that if we are good, then we have a chance and if we aren't, then we don't.  I told her that because I deeply love my in-laws, I wish I could give them what we have - a sure hope.  That we know we are going to be in heaven with God.  That is why we have so much joy.

She thought some more, and then said, "This is really the first time I have seen something different than (her religion) that I could have any sense of comparison at all.  I don't think I had ever had contact with a Christian before to see them and know what they believe."  Then she began to ask about my husband and when and why he changed from one belief to another.  I did answer her some, but told her she should ask him herself why he changed.  He did that before I met him.  (I wanted her to know he did not do it on my behalf.)

We talked for hours.  She is calmly watching and thinking.  Please pray for her.

Pray for energy for us - in the middle of our own pain, we are still living in front of her, praying for her, trusting God to work in her heart.  Tomorrow night, we will be watching an interesting film with her in a group of other people from her country who work with us.  Pray for her tomorrow, that she would see the truth and choose to follow.