Savitha leaned back against the wall, trying to avoid the puddle of water in the room and ignore the heavy wind outside. It battered her small home, and rain steadily fell inside.
Drip, drip, drip . . .
The wind from the storm continued to rustle the thatched roof and threatened to take what little remained of it. Savitha moved closer to the wall. The memories of her husband’s time in the hospital flashed before her with each plunk of water. If only she did not have to live in this misery any longer.
Savitha’s husband worked diligently in their field. But sickness quickly destroyed their livelihood, and his death brought great despair.
Struggles Come
Just 10 years ago, life was not so difficult. Savitha’s husband labored vigorously on their farmland and provided for their needs well.
Then Savitha’s husband complained of intense stomach pains. Their daily routine was shaken as she had to take him to several hospitals. He couldn’t eat any food, and he could no longer work. They sold their land to pay for the bills, but it was not sufficient for additional hospital visits; they needed a loan. Finally the diagnosis came: Her husband had a tumor. Nothing could be done.
She remained with her husband in the hospital.
Drip, drip, drip . . .
Her husband’s life had faded away.
And loneliness gushed into Savitha’s heart.
Left to a Broken Home
Savitha returned to an empty house, and began working hard in nearby sugar cane fields to meet her needs. One day, only to add to her despair, a storm came through her village and pulled apart her roof. It left gaping holes leaving her exposed to the elements. Her struggles mounted as a minor cooking fire ruined another portion of her thatched roof. Unable even to purchase a daily meal, she lacked the ability to repair it.
Savitha was desperate for help.
“Consider my condition and deliver me from poverty,” she had cried out to her gods.
No help came.
Greetings of Love
Every raindrop that fell inside her home reminded Savitha of what she had lost and lacked.
When a storm destroyed the roof of her home, Savitha was alone in suffering. She cried out to her gods but received no answer for 10 years.
Drip, drip, drip . . .
Days later, as she lay outside her home, a man came up to her and offered her a small booklet. Savitha glanced at the front page but was unable to understand what it said.
Savitha questioned what it was about. The young man, Gospel for Asia pastor Mohan, shared with her the information the booklet contained. He expressed the true love of God and invited her to church.
Widow Realizes God Cares
While Savitha was lying outside her home, Gospel for Asia pastor Mohan walked by and offered her some Gospel literature. Unable to read, Savitha simply asked questions, which opened the door for Pastor Mohan to share the Good News with her.
Whenever Savitha attended Pastor Mohan’s worship service, she listened intently to the Good News. She considered the reality of Jesus’ love and what He did for her on the cross. Peace began to flood into her life, and she soon made the decision to walk with Christ all her days.
She began praying, and she asked God to provide for her needs.
Then some wonderful news came! Just as God gave His Son to the world to bring shelter to the broken, she would be receiving five tin sheets for her broken roof.
“I could not believe my ears when I heard that news from the pastor,” Savitha said.
In peace, Savitha sits back down in her home against the wall. Drip, drip, drip . . . The rain falls off her roof—onto the ground outside. Now the sound of rain brings a sweet reminder of how God changed her life.
