She has one of the sweetest faces I have ever seen. Even when she is not smiling, her face is soft, as if ready to laugh at any moment. Her hair is long and curly, falling gracefully down her back.
I didn't think she was older than 35, and even she is unsure of her exact age... but she is a mother with two daughters, and she knows she is older than thirty. One is married, and the other will be married in a week. And she is a grandmother to a small baby girl.
I tease her, saying that I will look fifty by the time I am her age, and she will still look the same. Her eyes sparkle, and she is absolutely beautiful.
I don't know what life has done to her. I know that she is not married, but I am unsure of the details of her story. But I know that life has been hard. I sit beside her as she sews her quilts... sewing to support her family... to support herself. She threads her needle with skill, tenderly weaving it through the fabric to create intricate patterns.
She comes from a Muslim village. Every Friday, she and another friend journey for several hours by bus into Calcutta to deliver their products, work in a clean and quiet place, and then return to their village with more quilts to complete. If she can make ten quilts a month, then it is a good month for her.
Her daughter will be married at 15 years old. I learned that according to the traditions of her religion, it is best if a girl is married as soon as possible in order to preserve her virginity and insure she is untainted before she is wed. The mother of the groom sat next to her sewing her own quilts as she shared these details.
For some reason, my heart is just drawn to her. She is always ready with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. She is the type of person who, when you enter her presence, your soul just relaxes. Her presence is soothing, comforting... the presence of a mother, a friend.
And she doesn't know Jesus. But He is wooing her. I believe he is. To her, He is just a prophet, just a name. But I pray that He will soon be so much more. I pray that she will be captivated... through dreams and visions, through His presence, through the people she sees every Friday that reflect His love. The hold of Islam is strong, but my Jesus is stronger. He is bringing light into her heart. I believe it.
Pray for my dear friend. Pray that she will see the truth. Pray that she will fall in love with Jesus.
I didn't think she was older than 35, and even she is unsure of her exact age... but she is a mother with two daughters, and she knows she is older than thirty. One is married, and the other will be married in a week. And she is a grandmother to a small baby girl.
I tease her, saying that I will look fifty by the time I am her age, and she will still look the same. Her eyes sparkle, and she is absolutely beautiful.
I don't know what life has done to her. I know that she is not married, but I am unsure of the details of her story. But I know that life has been hard. I sit beside her as she sews her quilts... sewing to support her family... to support herself. She threads her needle with skill, tenderly weaving it through the fabric to create intricate patterns.
She comes from a Muslim village. Every Friday, she and another friend journey for several hours by bus into Calcutta to deliver their products, work in a clean and quiet place, and then return to their village with more quilts to complete. If she can make ten quilts a month, then it is a good month for her.
Her daughter will be married at 15 years old. I learned that according to the traditions of her religion, it is best if a girl is married as soon as possible in order to preserve her virginity and insure she is untainted before she is wed. The mother of the groom sat next to her sewing her own quilts as she shared these details.
For some reason, my heart is just drawn to her. She is always ready with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. She is the type of person who, when you enter her presence, your soul just relaxes. Her presence is soothing, comforting... the presence of a mother, a friend.
And she doesn't know Jesus. But He is wooing her. I believe he is. To her, He is just a prophet, just a name. But I pray that He will soon be so much more. I pray that she will be captivated... through dreams and visions, through His presence, through the people she sees every Friday that reflect His love. The hold of Islam is strong, but my Jesus is stronger. He is bringing light into her heart. I believe it.
Pray for my dear friend. Pray that she will see the truth. Pray that she will fall in love with Jesus.
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