“What then shall we say in these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
(Romans 8:31)
MALALA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF strength and courage. Some time ago, in her native country, Pakistan», she was violently attacked by the Taliban while riding a school bus. She was shot in the head just because she believed in women’s education. The Taliban regime, which forcibly held political power, had forbidden girls from attending school. But Malala wanted to study, to improve and learn. She managed to survive and, even with intense physical pain and emotional suffering, she decided to become a civil rights defender, especially women’s rights in countries like her own. She became the youngest person in history to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was barely seventeen years old.
The whole world acknowledged the girl’s courage and in one of her speeches she said this moving phrase: “They can shoot my body but not my soul.» Through that phrase she meant that in spite of threats and hardships, she was still sure of her high calling. She was determined to change the part of the world where she was born.
The Lord needs women of vision to complete the entrusted mission. “One child, one teacher, one book, one pencil, can change the world,” she said in another part of her moving speech. Discovering the mission for which we have come into this world is what gives meaning to our lives. A Christian woman with a vision and a mission knows what the meaning of her existence is and, even if she stumbles, falls and makes mistakes, she has the certainty of God’s presence in her life and in her daily activities.
If God is with you, don’t fear life’s storms. The Almighty steers your vessel; even when you feel that your boat is sinking, you won’t drown. Raising a difficult child, an adolescent’s defiance, and the indolence of those around you or your husband’s hardness of heart might sometimes discourage you, but will never defeat you.
Always keep your beautiful mission in mind, even if now you can only see the unpleasant side of it. Being a mother can be overwhelming, but remember you were a co-creator with God when you gave life to a child. God is extending His hand to you; grab it, He is powerful enough to hold you and in His way and time, He will solve all your problems.