Have you ever noticed that God has an affinity for those who are afflicted? And that those who suffer have an incredibly special place in His heart? Recently, while I was reading the Bible and pausing to listen as the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, I noticed the way God takes special interest and gives His loving attention to those who are afflicted and suffering:
“For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”
Psalm 22:24
Women in the Window desires to be a ministry that reflects the very heart of God as we serve women in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. His affections, His attentions, and His priorities become ours, as we seek to reflect His tendermercies. The following story brings this to life:
“Emmanuel (God is with us!). Hello, my name is Kotiba. And I learned a lot from this training, and I want to thank God for you and your ministry. First of all, I learned the five steps of the Inductive Bible Study Method (Essentials): Preparation, Observation, Interpretation, Application, and Reflection. By reading the Bible according to this method, we gained deep knowledge about God’s plan and how it includes stories of women. Women and girls like me are part of God’s beautiful story!
During our “heart” Trauma Healing Training, I learned how to recover from trauma, through lamenting, grieving, and forgiving others. I also learned that although my life has been so hard, I can actually start anew by following this trauma healing journey with God. You see, my parents work as day laborers and are extremely poor. They can provide only a little food for our family with the wages they earn. When there is no work, we have no food and sometimes we survive only by drinking water. This hurts me and makes me wonder about God, but this training taught me that we shouldn’t lose trust in God. We need to learn to talk about our pain and suffering, to God and to others. And, after we grieve and lament, we learn to have faith and depend on God and His people, just like the widow in the Bible story, ‘The Widow’s Oil.‘
Yes! Because of you, God has rescued Kotiba from her afflictions. Through our partnership with Talitha Koumi in Asia, and reaching girls like Kotiba, we provide tools to provide for them physically but also to strengthen them emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.
Thank you for reflecting God’s heart for the afflicted through your partnership with WiW.
