Didn’t Feel Like an Orphan

Posted by Ben Propst on Feb 5, 2010 in Daily Bread | 1 comment

In 1994, Immaculée Ilibagiza survived the genocide in Rwanda by hiding with seven other women in a 3′ by 4′ bathroom for 91 days. She entered the bathroom a vibrant, 115-pound college student. She emerged weighing just 65 pounds to find that her family had been brutally murdered. While hiding, she spent her time reading the Bible and praying. These verses from Mark proved very comforting to her. She wrote later: "But I didn’t feel like an orphan at all. I’d been praying continually for weeks, and my relationship with God was deeper than I’d ever imagined possible. I felt like the daughter of the kindest, most powerful king the world had ever known. I surrendered my thoughts to God every day when I retreated to that special place in my heart to communicate with Him. That place was like a little slice of heaven, where my hear spoke to His holy spirit, and His spirit spoke to my heart. He assured me that while I lived in His spirit, I’d never be abandoned, never be alone, and never be harmed."

In those days of hiding, Immaculee truly experienced God. She cried out to Him and He delivered her from all sorts of brutality. But my first thought is, what was it about her prayers specifically? Was her faith stronger? I have very few answers. Certainly, just as Mark says, our faith in God can move mountains. But I do think sometimes we get misled into thinking that faith is a power in and of itself we can call upon to get things done our way and leave God out of the equation all together. That sounds like positive thinking to me. But if we, like Immaculee, pray continually, seek Him fervently, and truly listen, we WILL get answers. And we certainly will never be alone.