Irritation to Inspiration
Recently Philippa Brooks was presented with the photo above, with a request that she identify the person with whom she is sharing a laugh. A myriad of expressions flitted across her face as she remembered so many things about the young lady.
“Her name is Gina,” she said softly.
A brief glance down Memory Lane explained her emotions. She said, “She [Gina] is a now a joyful, loyal, dedicated sister in the Lord, but it wasn’t always this way. In fact, if the truth be told, the first few years we were here, I struggled with her more than anyone else in the village. She continually lied, cheated, stole and took advantage of us. But … God. He redeemed her by His blood, and when I see her today, I am just humbled by the grace of God in her life and mine. Today, she is full of the love and joy of Her Savior despite many hardships, and she is passionate about sharing the gospel. I count her among my most treasured friends, and that is only something God could do.”
The Brooks family is moving to another tribal village on a different island of the Philippines to join an existing work in a new culture and language. Philippa continued, “We are excited about what the Lord has ahead for us, but sad to be leaving our dear friends here, especially those such as Gina who have become our family here through hard and difficult seasons. I know there will be other ‘Ginas’ there, and I want to remember the hope of salvation, redemption and fellowship as we persevere once again through the hard, early days of language and culture.”
There may be rough times with people who cross our paths, but God has a plan that we may see in the future. God has a way of bringing people into our lives for purposes that only He knows. May we reflect the love of our Savior in all circumstances.