No one said goodbye to Hadiya as she walked out of the fellowship meeting. She wasn’t surprised. Most people considered her a lost cause.
And she knew exactly why. Months before, after being slighted by her friend Zeinab, Hadiya had spread lies about her and some of the other women in the group. They had all stopped talking to her, and she had never felt so alone.
Then Melissa, a long-term Frontiers field worker, had invited Hadiya to read the Bible together. Hadiya had agreed, and over the past few months, she had begun to see that Jesus was calling her to pursue peace with the women she’d hurt.
“I’m terribly sorry for what I did, and I pray God’s blessings on you.”
Now, Hadiya paused when she spotted Zeinab laughing with a group of other women outside in the courtyard. They hadn’t spoken in a long time, but Hadiya hoped she could repair the damage her dishonesty and self-centeredness had done to their friendship.
Taking a deep breath, she moved among the believing sisters toward her old friend. As their eyes met, Zeinab sent Hadiya a hostile look.
Hadiya shyly smiled at her anyway. “I’m terribly sorry for what I did, and I pray God’s blessings on you.”
Zeinab’s glare didn’t waver as she turned and left without a word. Hadiya hurried away. Sobbing, she called Melissa and tearfully relayed the incident.
“She wants to know what has caused this change in me.”
“I still love her,” Hadiya said. “I have forgiven her, and I pray she too can forgive me someday. I’ve repented of the wrong things I’ve done to Zeinab, and I’m different now.”
“I’ve seen the way God is working in you,” Melissa responded. “You’re becoming a new creation in Christ.”
Hadiya smiled through her tears. “My family has noticed, too. One of my cousins even agreed to read the Bible with me after I apologized for hurting her when we were children. She wants to know what has caused this change in me.”
Before hanging up, Melissa and Hadiya agreed to keep studying the Word together and praying for Zeinab. Hadiya knows that through God’s power, she will continue to pursue reconciliation with those she has hurt and trust Him to soften their hearts.
Pray:
- Praise the Lord for changing Hadiya’s heart and life.
- Pray for Hadiya as she shares the Gospel with her family and friends.
- Ask God to transform the lives of new Muslim-background believers like Hadiya to attract others to His grace.
This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.