Immeasurable Worth
The women met each year because they were Christian leaders, the ones guiding others in their churches, communities and homes to choose the right paths. Women from another culture were invited to join them, and the subject of personal finances was on the agenda. As they began their presentation, the visitors handed out ledger sheets, instructing the women to write down their assets above the red line and their liabilities below it. Rather chaotically, the women began to question their visitors and each other, “What is an asset? What is a liability?” It was explained that an asset would be something of worth, like their dowries, and a liability would be money they may owe. The confusion continued; they had never actually seen their dowries and typically the men hold the money and handle the financial transactions.
Then one woman cried out, “I understand!” Above the line she wrote “men and boys” and below the line she wrote “women and girls.” With a breaking heart, one of the visitors ran to tell her of her immeasurable value to God and of her great importance to the success of her husband and her entire family. Listening to the pleas of her new friend, the woman carefully erased “women and girls” from below the line and re-wrote it above the line; the other women followed her lead.
It was a gathering of Arab Christian women. Even as redeemed daughters of the King, they did not know the truth about God’s love for them as women and how valuable they are in his eyes. As is true for every people, their culture had lied to them. For some, lies of materialism crowd out spiritual truths. These Arab women had believed the lie told by many cultures: women are nothing but liabilities.
The heart of the woman who spoke God’s truth that day still breaks for Arab-speaking women. She longs for each one to hear of God’s love. Her name is Kay Parker and she has set a goal of finding 1,200 women who will give $300 each so that Project Hannah can launch its ministry of compassion to Arab women in 22 countries. What is God calling you to do? Be challenged and encouraged by Kay’s Arabic PH blog (arabicPH.org).
Join us in praying for Arabic women this July. Download the prayer resources now and pray about who God would have you share them with this month!
Learn more about how you can be part of launching two years of Project Hannah Arabic through prayer and giving.
Read the full Hannah’s Heartbeat newsletter and email the PDF to friends so they too can join Project Hannah in sharing God’s life-changing love with suffering women around the world (select "Download the PDF" for the current June 2011 issue; archives of past issues are also available).