Inconspicuous Beginnings in the Hands of an Awesome God
Eleven years ago little Delah was an answered prayer lying in wait for her appointed day of arrival into this world. Her mother, Atir, awakened on the morning of January 17, 2000 rejoicing at the anticipated birth of the child in the womb whom she thought would be her little girl among three older sons. As the day progressed Atir received a message from her older sister to gather in their home immediately. Word had been passed among the few believers on our island that Muslim mobs were gathering around the city to target MBB’s (Muslim Background Believers) and CBB’s (Christian Background Believers).
They hurriedly gathered at Kak Ni’s home. As Atir and her family traveled the few kilometers distance to her older sister’s home, they saw pillars of smoke hovering over the city. Word then came to them as they gathered awaiting further news that systematically so the Muslim mobs were marching against any known believers. The mobs had targeted known existing churches with the plan of burning and looting those buildings. Then, the mobs were being carted from known Christian home to Christian home and attacking their homes as well. A demonstration of Islamic solidarity and prowess and commitment to eradicate the 99.9% Muslim population island of any “kafir” (infidel) presence was their collective intent. To reclaim the island for Allah was their end goal.
This larger family of 20+ SaSumBi MBB’s made a bold decision to flee through the rice fields with what clothes and food they could handle. The rice fields had been recently irrigated. The mud and water seeped through what dry layers of clothing they each could manage. With their children in tow and under their watchful eye they fled. Meanwhile, as they looked back to their neighborhood they saw a large group of Muslim men packed into one of many trucks used throughout the city stopping in front of their home and beginning the violent attacks.
Atir ran alongside her husband, children, and other relatives that morning. She was 6 months pregnant at the time. “Kak, Ni, my water is breaking!”, she cried as they neared their safe ground destination of the military post. She crumpled to the water soaked ground among the rice seedlings. Kak Ni (her older sister) turned and laid hands on Atir’s womb and asked the Lord to stop the process of this baby coming prematurely. We were able to see them evacuated to the nearby safe island. There they, and most of our national partners, spent the next six months in refugee situations. And there, little Delah was born. She had been committed by this family to be one who offered praise and worship in tangible declaration over the SaSumBi and beyond.
I can recall many conversations and prayer times in some of our discipleship times together as we all trusted the Father for this next pregnancy along with her. Atir had already been diagnosed with Diabetes. The risk would be high and yet she felt the Lord was going to bless her in this pursuit. I walked her through the possible risks in getting pregnant with this type of disease. She sought the Lord and sensed His leading to continue the process of desiring to become pregnant with a fourth child.
From the first days of Delah gaining the ability to speak, she sang worship songs. Quite frequently she stops her neighbors and sings a song of worship over them. Life proclaims it and the world cannot contain His worth. And now, in recent times as a 7 year old Delah’s heart passion is to intercede for yet another Unreached People Group in another country of the world.
Come offer praise. Come fall upon your face and come see the ways of the Ancient of Days. Many babies are not spared, you and I know this by now. And yet, the Lord is sovereign over all the earth. How does one resume a vital walk when the Lord doesn’t answer in the ways we see fit or would even be desired? Isaiah 55 offers just one of many heart cries of those who long for His ways, no matter the costs. The longer I walk with Jesus the more profoundly His truth pierces and the more wantingly my heart understands. And yet, He beckons each of us to implicit trust. I will never fully trust and obey the One whom I do not know. I will never truly know the One with whom I spend not the time. He is beckoning our hearts, dear worshipers of God. Intimacy in the beckoning is afforded those who learn to seek His heart in all matters. There are no short cuts. His perfect peace is found in His nearness discovered in lingering presence spent before Him. He alone is sovereign. And His promises are true. Psalm 27:13 declares, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
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