Meera (now 35) was born a Hindu in a poor dysfunctional Indian family. Meera’s real father left her Mom pregnant and she was almost aborted. Life was tough for Meera and her family. Since the family was poor and there was no provider her mother stayed with a man whom Meera was forced to call father. But this man did not see Meera as a daughter and she was sent to a job in a small store at a very young age.
The owner of the store raped her and she was taken to the hospital that registered a case against the rapist.
However, her parents took a bribe to drop charges against the store owner and the story appeared in the local newspaper. Meera was shamed. There are cases like this all over India. A powerful man takes advantage of a poor girl and sexually abuses her. Bribes parents. Maybe the girl gets pregnant, maybe she has the child, maybe she has an abortion but she lives with the stigma for the rest of her life! Sometimes a woman pregnant outside of marriage is killed by her relatives!
Meera was depressed and started hating men – it was a man who had taken advantage of her after all. She stayed home for sometime but her parents wanted her to earn money and sitting at home was not an option. She applied for and took another job further away, thinking that her past would not trouble her.
This new owner found out about her past and started blackmailing her, threatening to fire her and spread the news about her past. She had no choice but surrender to him and got pregnant. To save herself from shame she opted for abortion.
Time passed and she found a man who fell in love with her and she with him. They were all set to get married. Meera believed her life had really take a turn for the better. All the bad events of her life were behind her and her life was changed through a solid relationship with her future husband.
Then came bad news. He had been away and had a horrible accident and died!
She was despondent decided to commit suicide! There was no hope. She thought she had found one good man but he died and there was no hope for a decent life for her.
She thought killing herself was the only way out.
Over the years of her struggles she had met Christians and one had given her a Bible. One evening as she was thinking of ways to kill herself she was paging through the Bible. Browsing as it were. Idling turning pages, not thinking there was hope to be found – even though her believing friend had said she could find hope in the Bible.
Suddenly it was as if a verse jumped off the page. It was part of Ecclesiastes 7:17 “Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?”
Why should you die before your time? And she thought, “If I kill myself it will be before my time! There is hope to be found in this book!” This Bible verse would change the course of her life.
She started attending a Church, trying to understand how faith in Christ could make a difference. In her mid-20’s she accepted Christ.
She was still a bitter, angry, but hard working person. A couple took her in to help with their child. They started teaching her English as this was the language the couple had in common.
But she would be rude to the adults. And soon circumstances changed and she was no longer needed for childcare. The man’s company needed talented employees and they regretfully decided to send Meera away.
But, God spoke to the man and told him clearly to hire Meera to make tea and clean for $65 per month! This is the lowest job in a company in India. But the owner had seen that Meera was a learner and took a chance with her.
Things were not easy between Meera and the other employees. She was a total misfit and hated men including the owner. She would be rude to everyone but mostly the men. But, her work was extremely good.
She started answering the phone and taking messages. One day she answered a call from a client from USA and she made accurate notes of the conversation. The owner was impressed and started teaching her to type using the computer.
She was a fast learner and so received more responsibility. She started managing the cash book and accounts. There were employees who stole money and the day Meera took over cash she “plugged the leaking holes” and profit increased.
One day the auditor came and asked for the accounts to review. When he saw them he was impressed and thought Meera was an accountant! Eventually she earned a position of administrator and today she receives a top salary in this company.
From time to time the owner would ask her why she was such an angry woman. She had succeeded in the company as an able worker but always seemed angry.
She would rudely answer “mind your own business”.
But, one day he told her that she is like an ESTHER and she must come out of her anger and rude behavior. After a few months she told him her story and he could not sleep that night.
Meera is in her mid-30’s and still single. She says she has forgiven but when a possible husband is suggested to her she gets angry and will stop talking for months!
The love of God has started the long process of changing Meera to be a woman of God. She attends her church and participates in the daily Bible study at the company. At least four young women have received Christ through Meera so far! The owner has asked her to develop her ministry to young women like herself who have been sexually abused, possibly carrying the stigma of an unwanted pregnancy and the scars of abortion. Through this process of reaching out she will learn to forgive and realize that she really does have peace in Jesus Christ.
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Stories from Asia 