Have you ever contemplated your own depravity of heart....that is, the heart you had before Jesus redeemed you? Did you consider yourself a pretty decent person?
I read a story about a father who did the unthinkable. He left his daughter to die, alone.
We were any better, as unsaved people? As you read about his daughter, Eva, below, you'll most assuredly feel you were better than this depraved father.
Earlier, when our child development center conducted HIV testing for all the children in the sponsorship program, Eva had tested HIV-positive. Her father received the information but refused to take the test himself.
When Eva’s condition worsened into full-blown AIDS that was visible to onlookers, he no longer wanted to be associated with her. He was afraid his friends and colleagues would think that since his daughter was HIV-positive, then he, too, was HIV-positive.
Eva’s father decided to bundle up the little angel and take her to Kawolo village to “save his face.” When we finally were able to approach him, he showed remorse for his actions.
We hired an ambulance and paramedics and drove to Kawolo village in Lugazi district. We arrived in the heat of the noonday African sun. Beautiful Eva lay shivering, as though it were winter, on a bare mat in a derelict thatched hut.
She had thinned so much that her skeleton protruded beneath her skin. Her lovely hair had fallen out. Eva’s lips had transformed into a wound so big that she was unable to eat. I could not tell how long it had been since she had last eaten.
When Eva’s condition worsened into full-blown AIDS that was visible to onlookers, he no longer wanted to be associated with her. He was afraid his friends and colleagues would think that since his daughter was HIV-positive, then he, too, was HIV-positive.
Eva’s father decided to bundle up the little angel and take her to Kawolo village to “save his face.” When we finally were able to approach him, he showed remorse for his actions.
We hired an ambulance and paramedics and drove to Kawolo village in Lugazi district. We arrived in the heat of the noonday African sun. Beautiful Eva lay shivering, as though it were winter, on a bare mat in a derelict thatched hut.
She had thinned so much that her skeleton protruded beneath her skin. Her lovely hair had fallen out. Eva’s lips had transformed into a wound so big that she was unable to eat. I could not tell how long it had been since she had last eaten.
Eva could not move any part of her body except for her frightened eyes. She saw me and tried to say something but was unable to form words.
Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/hiv-in-children-the-last-days-of-an-hiv-positive-child/#ixzz1fL9q7Z25
Click here to read the incredible story in its entirety. God uses everything. His capacity to forgive, to redeem, to make beauty out of stench, amazes me. I often read something on the Compassion blog and think, "That's the most incredible movement of God I've ever seen."
But every week, the miracles just keep on coming. Praise God!
What a reminder of the grace we've been given. We were no better than this father. We can't ever forget that.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:11
there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
1 John 1:8
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment