"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:35-37
This is a photo that was taken during our "modeling shoot" in preparation for our website. We had a blast together that day, feeling joyful and just having fun modeling the jewelry that these women made in faith, to earn a living. I look at this photo all the time and it brings tears to my eyes. LOOK at her!! Talk about more than a conqueror. I see joy, peace, pride, and confidence in the face of a woman who may have suffered horrors that we can only imagine. I personally do not know her story, exactly, but that is okay, because her past is not the main thing that God wants us to see. What he really wants us to see is that through Him, she is way more than a conqueror.
The women of the Tabitha Artisans "faced death all day long; considered as sheep to be slaughtered" by the rebels who abducted them. As were the children of the Village of Hope. But now those children are now living and thriving in our primary, secondary, vocational schools, and some in college, and our Tabitha child mothers are entrepreneurs! They are learning skills, creating beautiful things, and keeping food on the table. Praise God! What we see on her face is God's light shining on her, and from within her, having come out of this world's worst darkness and into His glory.
What darkness do you face? It can be from an outside source (an abuser, poverty, joblessness?) It can be from within (fear, insecurity, a personal stronghold that holds you captive?) This world is full of those who do not choose God, and sometimes the people and circumstances of this world can cause tremendous damage to us. But that is not the end of the story. Not even close. Let the Lord God, your Abba Father, write your story's ending!