A parent's WORST nightmare!!! We have heard the story right here, from those ministering in one of the poorest and roughest areas in the greater Manila area. A young girl who had been involved in the program at the Arenda church, apparently asked the wrong man to buy her an ice cream. He did buy her the ice cream but then exacted a cost that is beyond all comprehension.
He and 2 accomplices took this young girl, raped her, beat her to death, then stuffed her body in a trash bag and buried her, hoping she would never be found. If you have been here, to this community that is built entirely on what was the city dump, you can only imagine how easy it would be, amid the various rancid odors and deplorable conditions, to hide a small body and truly never expect it to ever be found again. She was only 8 years old.
It took 3 days, but they did find the abandoned body of this precious little girl. Quick actions were taken to find those who so badly brutalized and abused her. 2 of the 3 have been convicted. The search continues for the third man. Some sort of legal justice has been served. Yet there remains a gaping hole, not where her body was dug up, but where the parents lost their beautiful daughter...it is in their hearts.
There is another hole as well, in the hearts of the parents of the men who committed this horrid crime. What could possibly be done to repair such tragedy? Most of us would think that there is nothing that can be done. Their pain and shame will never go away.
Enter God.
In a most amazing turn of events, those from the church we built in Arenda ministered to the parents who lost their daughter. They also ministered to the parents of the man mainly responsible for her death. Somehow, in the midst of extreme tragedy, God's love shown through. Somehow, when their hearts could not drown out their sorrow, God's still, quiet Voice came through clearly. He loved them, He understood, He could heal their pain. He did.
Each family gave themselves over to the Love of One who understands what it is like to lose a Son. Each family gave their hearts to this Heavenly Father to administer healing that no other could even touch. No surgeon could reach deep enough into their hearts to repair this deep, deep damage. None other than the Great Physician. God worked a new miracle in the hearts and lives of each family.
To show just how amazing and how complete this healing, forgiveness, mercy and love goes - just visit the little Arenda church of the Nazarene. The sight that awaits is something of the nearly unbelievable comprehension that our own hearts hope for but struggle to really grasp. There in the aftermath of intense life-altering sorrow, 2 families connected on opposite ends of this very personal tragedy, join together in worship of their God and Savior Jesus Christ! It is a testament to the ongoing power of Jesus to change lives, to transform despair into hope and to show us all that no one and no situation is beyond His reach!
I praise God for this incredible story. I grieve for the very high price that was paid by all the families involved but I praise my God, who daily bears our burdens!
Humbled by His mercy,
Ray
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment