A Bridge of Hope in the Name of Jesus

A Bridge of Hope in the Name of Jesus - KP Yohannan - Gospel for AsiaJesus. This article is about Jesus.

In it, we are going to share the story of a young girl whose life was so discouraging that she considered suicide as a preteen. But as we share her story, it's not singularly significant that you remember that her name is Atmaja. It is significant that we all recognize that her story was written before the world was formed, and Jesus, our Creator, had a plan for her.

This is the story of His plan for Atmaja. This is the story of how he drew her to Him through that plan and how believing in His name changed her life and the lives of her family members forever.

Atmaja's story is not unusual, especially for young children in Asia. It is filled with heartbreak, sorrow, despair and depression. So, please, keep in mind that the beginning of her story is like millions of other children in that region. The plot is pretty much the same for families trapped in the bondage of abject poverty.

For whatever reason, in Atmaja's case, her father had squandered his inheritance to satisfy his own pleasures, including his addiction to alcohol. When she was 12, she and her family found themselves living in a meager roadside hut without enough food or clothing for the family of five.

Her father did what most fathers in that part of the world do when they cannot provide the necessities of life for their families. He forced his children to go to work to support the family.

(We might do well to stop and meditate on how fortunate we are in America. Less than 100 years ago, many children had to work long hours at low pay to help their families survive.)

In Atmaja's case, if she and her siblings did not earn enough money, their father beat them. Imagine the incentive that gave them to contribute to the family's economy. To make matters worse, their work did little to alleviate their situation because her father continued his addiction. In effect, their contributions financed his profligate lifestyle whilst they continued to suffer at work and at his hands.
Atmaja found herself in a complex situation, one that was hardly resolvable for a 12 year old. If she worked, she could not go to school and her hopes for a brighter future would be crushed like a bug under a boot heel. If she worked but did not earn enough money, she was beaten. If she tried to go to school, she was beaten. How does a child find their way out of a situation like this?

Fortunately, Atmaja turned to someone for help. She had heard about Jesus and His love and concern for us. Although she did not yet know Him, she began to pray to Him for His help. If her father knew that she was trying to learn about Jesus from her Christian friends, that would be a reason for him to beat her.

With her mother's permission, however, she began to attend a local Sunday school where her Christian friends encouraged her and where she learned more about Jesus. And her father did, indeed, beat her when he discovered what she was doing.

Before long, however, Atmaja told her mother that she wanted to follow Jesus and that she wanted to go back to Sunday school. When her father found out, the seemingly endless cycle of abuse was repeated again with more beatings and being told to leave her father's home.

Atmaja continued to pray and learn how to follow Jesus.

On one of those days when it seemed like all hope was gone, a pastor visited the family hut and ministered to them. The pastor continued to visit regularly, befriending her father, counseling about his bad habits, and pointing him to Jesus.

During this same time, her mother learned about a local GFA-supported Bridge of Hope center. From the day her mother enrolled her, a transformation planned in eternity past began.

Atmaja learned many things that impacted all facets of her life for the good –mentally, emotionally, socially and physically. Her entire demeanor changed so radically that her father could see the difference.

Eventully, Aatmaja's placed his trust in Jesus, and he, too, began to experience the transformation that is only available in Christ, who gave His life to give us a new life of peace that surpasses all human understanding.

The beginning and the end of this story are all about Jesus rescuing us from a life and an eternity of hopeless misery.

Remember to pray for Atmaja and the millions of girls who live in similar situations.

Click here to read how Bridge of Hope impacted young Bijay's life.


Source: GFA, Once Forbidden from School, Now a Successful Student, Originally published April 5, 2011

Image Source: Gospel for Asia, Photo of the Day

Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

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