The Lord reminded me of a time and day when I was in Ghana, Africa; back in 2004. The local missionary there had informed us that he wanted three ladies from our mission team to meet three other ladies in a village not far from where we were staying. He stated that these women were old widows that the missionary had been caring for. They lived in a predominantly Muslim area and were persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. He wanted us to meet them because he felt that they would bless us because of their beautiful spirits.
Ghana is very close to the Sahara Desert and it very hot! In the shade it was sometimes 120 degrees! So here we were in this little village full of mud huts and taken to a little hut that housed three little widow women. When I looked down at one of the ladies, she was laying on a pillow that was full of flies. She actually had a little child on her that she was rocking (I’m sure it was from the village) lying on that pillow too. The second widow was there and the third widow was out in the village. The three women that lived in this little mud hut were often persecuted with no pastor, no one to lead them and no one to encourage them on a daily basis. They had no form of income other than the little bit of money that the local missionary could supply to them to help them. Yet, they were singing and praising God for His provision and for the wonderful life that He had given them.
I was reminded at that time when the Bible said, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last” (Matthew 19:30; Matthew 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30). I could just see us all standing in Heaven, before God, in a line, and I would be in the very back and look up to the front of the line and see these three beautiful women: Women that this world will never know. Many will never have the honro of meeting them but I was given the privilege to meet these three beautiful women who love the Lord regardless of their circumstances.
The Apostle Paul has said, “I’ve learned to be content whether I am hungry or well fed.” I am humbled as I even think about these three women and how many times in my own life I often complained when I am well fed. In fact, I am often over fed. I guess today I need to take some time to ponder, really where is my heart? Where is my first love and who is my first love?
I think these are questions that we can all ask ourselves: What would we do? Where would we be if we were old, and widowed, and had nothing; did not even have air and lived in a little mud hut? Would we be singing His praises about how wonderful He is or would we be complaining? I think sometimes we have too much and it makes us ungrateful; at least, I know, for myself that is true. Today I just have to ask the Lord to forgive me and to work in my heart that I will learn to be content in any situation, knowing that I am a child of the Most High God.
Be encouraged.