Read what I learned from an American woman, who had married a Muslim man
A few years ago, I did for a few months have occasion to speak to a woman who had married a Muslim man. She was American born. She told me she was divorced from her first husband, a doctor in California, and had four children. She then married a Muslim man, converted to his religion, Islam, and moved to Iran with her kids. I never knew of a stronger woman than her from hearing about what she endured in Iran. She told me some stories of horrible things that happened to her and her children while in Iran. Her eyes were blue, so with the traditional clothing she wore in Iran, she could not hide the color of her eyes. She told me she learned enough of the language to go to market and ride in a taxi, but even talking the language and obeying the customs there, from listening to her many stories during the time I spent with her, (she was very health conscious and attended some of my essential oil classes), I thought she endured more than I thought any one person could survive and still come out alive. There should be a movie made of her life, it was that spell-binding hearing the things she told me. She risked her life getting out of Iran, and at anytime any man or woman could have blown the whistle on her during her plight, and her fate would've been very grim. She told me she wanted better for her children and she knew she had to get back to the U.S. She did work and secretly saved up enough money to travel. She had to leave all belongings and be very cautious at every turn under the cover of dark to make it out of Iran with her kids. They left with practically nothing. Her precious books she had to leave. She said books were very rare there. She saw no one cares about books or reads. And she had brought a suitcase of jewelry to start a small jewelry business there, but her husband's family took it all upon her arrival, and she had no say so in the matter. Her daughters at a very, very young age, she permitted to marry, the men were brothers, and she told me all day women were expected to clean the house, scrub the floors on their hands and knees daily, and had to haul water and practically were slaves to housework. That basically was their position, an immaculate house, cook, raise the children, and please their husbands-and any hope of an education for her girls was totally out of the question. And for woman, their every move is under watchful eyes. She told me she had labored hard at growing a vegetable garden, but her neighbors helped themselves to whatever they wanted. Because she was a 'white female' she couldn't do a thing to prevent any neighbor boy or older woman from taking from her garden what ever they wanted, when ever they wanted. She said one step out of line and it's understood women get beaten and bruised unmercifully. That's how they are kept to stay in check. Heaven forbid if you're home by yourself, and your husband brings home a male guest. If you're in one room and walk to another room, not knowing your husband has brought home a guest, and he sees you with your head uncovered, or too much of your neck showing, or too much above your ankles showing in your own home, it's your fault. It's always the woman's fault. In Iran, she told me a man can commit rape, but it's not the man's fault. The woman has to suffer for being sexually violated, and also suffer for disgracing her family because she was raped. And it's her fault. The man rapes the woman, but she pays the penalty and nothing happens to him. Her life is essentially over and he gets no reprimand at all for violating her. She told me even male children are taught early to disrespect females, and young girls are taught their position in life is below men.
My friend moved and I've long lost contact with her, but I can never forget the horrible things she told me women under Islam religion have to live. Out of respect, I never asked her why did she continue with this religion after she escaped from Iran. I'll never know. I did a google search just to see what I could find on people converting to Christianity. This never makes it to the headline news. God doesn't need headlines. He works quietly one-on-one on the inside. No one and no heart is out of reach of God's influence. Maybe these Christian converts got their hands on Christian literature, or studied the Bible for themselves, or heard someone give their testimony, or listened to a Christian radio or TV program. Maybe they listened to God speaking to their heart. It pleases my heart to know no one is out of the reach of God, no matter what their religion or belief, God is God, and He can touch and change any one's heart. He changed Saul's heart and he was converted from a Christian-hater to Apostle Paul, a changed man, a man who was very influential in the early Christian churches. And God changed my heart one night when I couldn't sleep. I received the gift of life and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. No heart is out of reach. Of course, only God knows the condition of your heart. Who knows, maybe Saul was puzzled and secretly envied that Christians were willing to die for there belief in Jesus. Spread the good news of the gospel at every opportunity, for you can never know what heart is seeking to know the truth of the gospel and that no matter what they've been up to then, Jesus is waiting to be invited into every beating heart.
Here's a list of some people who've converted from Islam to Christianity. Some people on this list are from very devote Muslim families, or very learned in the Muslim religion.
| There is no heart in the world out of God's reach |
Photo credit: duboix from morguefile.com
Until you invite Jesus by faith into your heart, you remain under the penalty of sin.There is no amount of good deeds you can do to get out from the penalty of sin. Jesus, and Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life. I don't find any other that can compare to Jesus having being the only way approved by God, the sacrificial lamb, becoming sin, and dying, thus when I have faith and accept Jesus, then I am accepting I believe who He is, what He did, and by faith, my sins are forgiven. Before Jesus, those looked forward to the Messiah to come and had to have priests offer animal sacrifices to temporarily cover sins. Jesus is the Messiah, He is Son of God, and He is the only Way. God is love and Jesus came to show you how much He loves you by dying for you so you can be freed from spiritual death. That's good news for all. All you have to do is believe, exercise faith and keep exercising it until it becomes strong faith day by day, and ask Him into your heart and the spiritual transformation takes place. Right now, this hour, this day is a real good time to do that. All I can say since the night I quietly asked Jesus to be my Savior, forgive me of my sins, and make me a changed person, I have been freed and it's a wonderful feeling. No matter what I am a child of God and I've been set free. What are you waiting for?
Ever in the warmth and glow of the author of my faith.
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