Yesterday I met a woman who grew up without a father (he passed away,) had two children and then was abandoned by her husband, and soon thereafter found out that she had AIDS. She didn't finish high school, she has no consistent work, and her sister, who was a great source of comfort for her, died two years ago.
With an introduction like that, one would think that this is a sad post meant to evoke a compassionate response, but on the contrary, it is an uplifting story meant to call us to a higher standard!
This woman, from the moment I met her until the moment she left (and even after I am sure,) exuded a spirit of joy and gratitude. She spoke of what peace and comfort she had that her family was so supportive of her when she told them about being HIV positive, and that she had support and help from the clinic. She was joyful that both of her children enjoy good health and are HIV free. And she is overflowing with praise and thanksgiving to God, whom she acknowledges as the source of all of these blessings. She exhibits a great sign of having a genuinely grateful heart, and that is that she cannot contain her desire to pour out the blessings she has received into others.
I am so humbled by this amazing woman, and by her testimony to the grace and love of Christ. I find myself lacking gratitude and miffed over some of the most insignificant things, and I am called into account on this just by being in her presence and seeing her joy! I am in awe of what God's redemption does, taking the most hopeless and desperate circumstance and making it not only a source of hope for the one enduring it, but also an inspiration for others! In my eyes, this is no less of a miracle than what we read of healings in the New Testament.
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