Standing at the Wrong Door

A disheveled young woman stood on our doorstep drenched by the heavy rain.

“Is this the benevolence charity that helps people?” she asked. Her headscarf was soaked, and she clutched an oversized jacket around her protruding belly.

“It isn’t,” I said, thinking she must have confused our home with the nearby office of a local charity. “But please step in where it’s dry.”

The rain came down in torrents, saturating the city with a biting cold that was unusual for early winter in our North African country. I poured a glass of hot tea for the anxious young woman as she opened up and shared her story.

I knew God had brought her to our home for a reason.

She told me her name was Farah. Last year she had left her village in the mountains and had come to the city for work.

“But now I’m pregnant,” she said. “And I’m not married. I haven’t told anyone, and I don’t know what to do.”

I wasn’t sure how my family and I could help the mother-to-be. But I knew God had brought her to our home for a reason. I invited Farah to stay with us for a couple of days.

“We’ll find a way to help you and your baby,” I told her.

Over the next few days, our family went about our normal life. We were getting ready for Christmas and welcomed Farah into our festivities as we shared Christ with her.

Having a heavily pregnant young woman show up on your doorstep around Christmas has a way of bringing the story of Christ’s birth into sharp focus. We shared this story with Farah—the story of an unplanned pregnancy and the birth of a much-loved baby boy.

We shared this story with Farah—the story of an unplanned pregnancy and the birth of a much-loved baby boy.

We also introduced her to some local Muslim-background believers who showed her compassion and showered her with the love of Christ.

One of these believers knew about a haven for unmarried mothers in our city. After about a week of hosting Farah in our home, we accompanied her to the haven and said goodbye. We visited her several times after that. During our visits, we read about Jesus in the Word together, and Farah marveled over the Good News of the Savior.

Some weeks later, Farah went into labor. And in a way that makes every other mother a little jealous, she gave birth easily to a baby boy.

Farah was instantly enamored with the boy. She named him Isa, which means Jesus in Arabic. Farah longed to take him home to her village, nurture him, and shower him with love and cuddles.

But to an unmarried mother from a conservative Muslim family, raising her fatherless child in her home village felt impossible. Farah told me that she was petrified of bringing shame on her family.

Farah was instantly enamored with the boy. She named him Isa, which means Jesus.

With a divided heart, she placed her baby up for adoption and went back to her family.

But Farah didn’t return to her village empty-handed. She took a copy of God’s Word and a hope that has grown stronger day by day. Hungry for the truth, she has continued messaging us to learn more about Christ. We do Bible studies together over text. Farah immediately shares what she learns about Jesus with her family and friends.

Farah isn’t in the Kingdom yet. But God is redeeming her story. He’s bringing hope in place of despair, joy in place of sadness, and honor in place of shame.

All because she knocked on the wrong door at Christmastime.

• Pray that Farah will continue growing in knowledge of the Word and love for Jesus.
• Pray for Farah to fully embrace life with Christ and to become a powerful messenger of the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to help you keep your eyes open for unexpected opportunities to bless people like Farah.