It was December and Sangeetabai and her two daughters looked forward to celebrating their first Christmas. The girls studying in grades 7 and 9 insisted that they put up a star at the entrance of their home and she needed to get one from the market. She was keen to reveal her new found faith to everyone in her village. Along with the excitement for the festive season came feelings of gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ for providing for her family and the peace they experienced.
Sangeetabai came from a village in Madhya Pradesh. Not knowing the living God Jesus Christ earlier, her family had no one to pray to. Though financially sound, her husband being a government officer, there were difficulties. It had to be the evil one, who was active in her life for which she encountered problem after problem. To counteract them, lots of money was spent on meaningless rituals and traditions in the hope that the problems would be resolved. To make matters worse, Sangeetabai’s husband who loved her deeply feel ill. It was a life-threatening illness that no medical treatment could heal and eventually he succumbed to the illness.
Needless to say the young widow was shattered. She felt totally alone and couldn’t seem to comprehend the reason for her sorry state of affairs. Where was God, what had she done wrong and why was she being punished she wondered over and over again, even as peace eluded her.
Next door to Sangeetabai lived a Christian family that conducted prayer meetings from time to time. When Sangeetabai went there to borrow something, the lady of the house greeted her and there was something about her that made Sangeetabai open her heart to her; revealing her sorrow. “Why am I suffering this unbearable pain?” she asked. After listening to her grief, the neighbor over a cup of coffee told her about the Lord Jesus Christ, assuring her that Jesus would restore her life if she put her trust in Him. She told her about the great love of Jesus and of the miracles he had performed in her life and the lives of people she knew.
It was the first time that Sangeetabai had heard about such sacrificial and unconditional love. Besides she was delighted to know that Jesus knew all about her hurt and pain and that he could turn her sorrows into joy. That night Sangeetabai had dinner at the neighbours place and when she returned home, she felt fresh and peaceful; all her tensions had disappeared.
In the days that followed, as suggested by the neighbor, Sangeetabai listened to Saccho Sarri on the radio where she heard more from the word of God. She felt God’s eyes on her, gradually revealing Himself to her. And when the preacher challenged her to receive Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior, she readily agreed, praying earnestly the entire time, welcoming Jesus into her heart and home. In time she taught her children about Jesus, encouraging them to worship with her.
Now a regular listener of the radio program, Sangeetabai admits that God speaks to her on a daily basis. He provides her with the necessary strength to take care of her children and home. What a joy it is for her to celebrate Christmas for the first time!