Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven – Matthew 10:32
I was moved when I read the story of Hansini, a young woman who made the decision to follow Christ, no matter what the cost. She faced persecution from her family and the entire village.
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law – Luke 12:53
Hansini withstood, the attacks of the Devil and held firm to her faith, refusing to renounce Christ. Her family turned on her. Pressured to do something about their wayward daughter, Hansini’s father beat her but to no avail. I can almost imagine her saying, “No matter what you do to me, I will not forsake my Lord.” Three years went by and still Hansini refused to give up her faith. Then one day, things changed. Read how a sewing machine changed the lives of Hansini, her family and her community.
It’s amazing how God can a sewing machine to share His love with a village who once rejected His Son and persecuted those who no longer worshipped their gods.
I was greatly inspired by Hansini and her unshakable faith. She trusted in God and stood up for Jesus and was blessed with a sewing machine which she used to pay her family’s bills. She convinced her parents that, “Jesus Christ is the giver of all good gifts and it is because of the love and grace of Christ that our family is able to overcome all of our financial struggles.”
Hansini demonstrated the love and forgiveness of Christ when she used her income to support her family and gladly agreed to teach the neighbors’ children how to sew. They had all been her enemies, persecuting her, viewing her faith as a scandalous and shameful act. Yet, Hansini did not hold a grudge against them. Instead, she showed them kindness. And in no time, their hostility toward her stopped. Hansini used the sewing machine that God gave her as a way to open a door for the people to see firsthand the love of Jesus. They saw how faith works and how God responds to that faith.
Hansini’s story is a testimony to the faithfulness of God to those who place their complete trust in Him. He used a sewing machine to lift her and her family out of poverty and at the same time, point them to His beloved Son. This Christmas, look through Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog and see what practical gifts you can provide for families like Hansini. Through these gifts, they can come to know the true Gift.
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong – 1 Corinthians 16:13
Source: Gospel for Asia
Notes to Women 