It amazes me when I hear great stories of faith and testimonies by heroes who have had faith filled lives. Having gone through an intensive integrity check over the past few months myself, I can say that faith is what brought me through. Only God knows how well I did, but as far as my conscience is concerned I can say that I fought the good fight and stayed the course. Well anyways this post is not about me but one such hero (or may be I should say heroine!) of faith.
Yesterday I happened to go to my Mom’s home town Nuzvid to visit some friends on the occasion of Ramzan. (Ofcourse it was not all about the biryani but also about meeting some old buddies!). It is about an hour from my home in Vijayawada. At 10:00AM I boarded the bus to Nuzvid. The bus was spacious with not many passengers and so I caught a window seat which I always enjoy during travelling. Since it was a one hour journey, I went fully equipped with books and some music on my ipod to keep myself busy and not bored.
After a few stops within the city there was one young girl probably my age I thought, who got into the bus hurriedly. She came and sat beside me. By then I already had my Bible open and was reading about Lot and Abraham. While she was trying to settle down, I could just get a glimpse of her face. She then took out a book and had it on her lap while she was still trying to get her breath. I was thinking probably she had to run a long distance before she caught the bus. So she looked at my Bible and stared at it for few seconds. I was also very anxious to see what book she had, but before I could get a proper look she opened it and I missed the cover page. All I could see was a 500 number and something written in Telugu on it. So I thought may be some 500 slokas or sayings from the Gita. Because of late, I have been noticing a lot of people carrying books like those while travelling. I casually wanted to make a conversation but then thought would wait for a chance so that she would not freak out.
Nothing happened, so I continued to finish my portion of the Bible and closed it and at the same time the Conductor came to give us a ticket. She closed her book and I read the title which translates into English as “500 Praise verses”. It seemed to me like a Christian book. However I never spoke a word and so did she. Later on she was feeling uncomfortable and asked me if we could switch places as she felt like throwing up. So I obliged and gave her my window seat. I asked her if she wanted water as that was all I had to offer. She drank some and then was resting. And that was how our conversation began.
She started “Are you a Christian?” I said “Yes and you?” With a broad smile, she said “Yes” That was when I actually got a good look at her face. She continued “Are you a Catholic or a Pentecost?” That, kind of puzzled me but I said “Catholic and you?” I of course guessed she was a Pentecost but you know these formality rules among strangers, I had to abide by it! She said “Yes. Do you guys believe in the Holy Spirit? Because I think Catholics don’t believe in a Holy Spirit.” Having once been a core member of the Catholic Church I never heard anyone tag Catholics with that line, nevertheless I knew where she was getting to and said, “You see I am a Christian and I believe what the Bible says.” I guess she got a slight hint or atleast I felt so with her next question,
“When did you accept Christ into your life?”
“In my ninth standard and how about you?” I replied while wondering this girl was on a row and she seems to be the talker though I wanted to be the one.
“Even I in my ninth and I got married one year later in my tenth” I was not at all prepared for the second part and it obviously struck me.
It was then I asked her the question people usually ask in the beginning “What’s your name?”
“I changed my name from Shivani to Mary after I took baptism”
“Oh so you were a Hindu?”I knew that was a stupid question, apparently she was. “Yes and I wanted people to know I am a Christian, so I changed. What is your name?”
“Stella”
She laughed heartily. “Oh! That is my favorite name, I wanted to have that name but then I took Mary” and she continued to say something but the bus was making obnoxious sounds and I hardly could hear her.
I asked her, “So your family is also Christian?”
“No just me and my Mom. My Dad is no more” I felt sorry and was silent but I carried on preventing the awkwardness.
“What about your husband and in laws?”
“No I am the only one who goes to church, the rest are passionate Hindus and they do poojas and all”
“So how did you come to know Christ? Through your mother?”
She chuckled and said, “No actually she got to know Christ through me. I once heard a man speak about Jesus during my school days and it was then I decided to follow him”
Assuming she studied in a missionary school, I nodded my head and was thinking about the influence Christian schools or missionary schools make on school kids. She broke my flow of thought and said, “So where are you going?” She seemed to be a pretty talkative girl. So we did discuss about our whereabouts, qualifications and professions. She continued to openly discuss about her marriage and family too.
She was a very warm and amicable person and I enjoyed listening to her. She saw that I had my ipod in my hand and asked me to go ahead and listen and signaled me that she would rest a while. I thought fine; she might be feeling a little better and a little more tired having talked for quite some time!
I was listening to Chris Tomlin’s “How can I keep from singing?” and was recollecting all that happened and was silently praying for Mary. She said she ran a mobile beauty parlor and that she would travel to places whenever people called for help. Her husband usually dropped her if it was a new place, check out the surroundings and come back only after he was convinced that she could safely stay and come back. I thought how loving a husband he was. He ran a bakery and he was beginning to believe in Christ because of few instances where he was able to witness healing and other miracles. More importantly, once she was forced to carry out some pooja. Inspite of profusely refusing and taking a stand as a Chrsitian, her father-in law was angry and began to create a ruckus and so she had to succumb. Few months later he died due to illness. So her husband and mother in law thought it was the power of Jesus and began to respect her. In other words they left her alone and did not interfere whenever she went to church or read the Bible. I was glad that God was working out things for her good.
After sometime I had an urge within me to continue the discussion and so I stopped my music and asked her since how long she was working. I just wanted to get an estimate of her age. While she was talking, her phone rang and she answered it. She grinned and said it was her husband’s girl friend. I laughed. She said they both knew each other since childhood and Mary also knew that girl well and said she shared the gospel with her. And she needs to make a decision. This girl, Mary was a bubbly character and was excited all the while she spoke with no change of expressions or emotions except laugh and smile all the time. Being smitten by her candid personality, I did not actually register what she was telling me that well. Moreover the noisy sounds of the bus were irritating.
My heart sank when she told her actual story. She was so jolly all the while and I was bewildered.
“I’ve been working in this beauty parlor since three years and I want to give it up, to work for the Lord. I don’t know how and what but I have been praying and preaching the gospel to whomever I meet.”
“Do you have children?” I asked.
“No, I love children but God never gave me (or let me)” she replied. I was wondering if they thought she was too young to have kids or if she actually had some physical problem. But she was all radiant, so I did not want to put her down by asking another question about children.
“I got married to my husband when I was in my tenth. Though I knew I should not be marrying a Hindu, I could not fight long because my husband’s parents were asking for me since many years. They saw me when I attended a wedding and from then on they began to bug my parents and since in villages we get married early, my parents were willing. After I got married within four months my father-in law passed away due to severe illness. My husband now runs a bakery and we earn a little livelihood by which we survive.”
My heart sank even deeper when she opened up about her married life.
“I am planning to get my husband married to his girlfriend and move into ministry for God”
She said it so plainly that I thought I misheard her and asked her to repeat.
“My husband has been having an affair with his childhood girlfriend.” I was shocked, puzzled and dumbstruck. I mean how can one be so calm and peaceful about this? I asked her if she was sure and I told her that I thought she was joking when she mentioned about his girl friend earlier.
“I have seen them move very close with each other and even after marriage he has been going after her but he is nice to me as well”
I was like “Are you sure? What non sense is that? Don’t you ask for an explanation?”
“I do and that is why we have been fighting a lot these days. I don’t know what to do. I have to take a decision very soon. I talked about this to the girl also and I think if they both are happy together, I should get them married and move out.”
“Did you share this with your mother?”
“I lost my mother a year ago. You see I’ve been facing problems at every step of my life”, she said with her evergreen smile.
By then my heart was in my mouth. I did not have any words. My eyes were filled with tears but looking at her faith and confidence in God I was so humbled. I felt how small are my problems of unemployment when compared to this young girl’s life? I mean she was younger to me and the world she has lived in was totally unprecedented.
She continued “So now I am all alone, I have to make a decision and I trust God knows everything I am going through” By then we were almost at our destination.
I did not know what to say. Then I told her, “Be careful and take a decision prayerfully. I will keep you in my prayers, be strong.”
We got off the bus and I put her in an auto and gave her some money I had. She was hesitant and angry. I told her “You are like my sister and you can keep it.” I convinced her, “I will take it back. When you come to Vijayawada I shall avail your beauty parlor services.” She refused but then I told the auto guy to move on. The last look on her face has left an indelible impression on my mind. It was the peace in her eyes, grace in her face, faith in her smile and a frown for what I did! Well I took her phone number and said that I would keep in touch with her and call her up for her services. I did not know how I could help her at that moment.
While she left, I was walking to my friend’s place and all the while my heart was crying, I did not know how to pray for her. Even now as I write my eyes are filled with tears to see that young Mary who had faith like those heroes of the Bible, who was not even 21 years yet has gone through a lifetime. Losing her father when she had to survive, getting married to a completely strange person at a very young age, fighting the battle with her in laws all by herself and having only God on her side, having to accept the brutal truth of her adulterous husband, losing her mother when she needed her the most and now in the process of making one of the most pivotal decisions of her life. Amidst these, how is she able to be so peaceful and laugh about it? I mean she either must be a very good actress or a woman filled with faith. I cannot but pick the latter.
All I can say is I want faith like that!
