In my personal valley of humiliation—pain, discomfort, and embarrassing incapacity—this experience of giving God’s holy Word to a North African Muslim became a mountain top experience.  I was elated and overjoyed with the providence that brought a Moroccan Muslim and an American Christian who spoke both French and limited Arabic together for His purpose.  What chance outside of God’s intervention would there have been for two unlikely persons to come in contact with each other?

Valleys of humiliation are represented by diverse experiences.  They possibly differ according to individual personalities and temperaments. One such valley I recently traveled pertained to a fall and fractures of the coccyx (tail bone) and a vertebrae bone, which landed me in the hospital and a rehabilitation center for a month.  During that period, I experienced excruciating pain, discomfort, and utter helplessness.  I was unable to take care of any of my basic needs and was reduced to the vulnerability of an infant.  The words Thank you and I apologize became some of my most uttered words to hospital and rehab staff, as they performed services I could not tend to myself.

Despite great pain, discomfort, and helplessness, I endeavored to address everyone tending to my needs by name and with all the dignity and respect I could muster.  I was completely at their mercy.  I fast learned there are different levels of service depending on the moods and personalities of staff members.  Some showed caring, compassion, gentleness, sympathy, and understanding, while others conveyed an appearance it was just a job with little understanding of what a patient was experiencing.  I gained great appreciation for some care givers and disappointment in others.  Regardless of which, I determined to treat all with the same dignity and respect.

One day, an aide was tending to some of my most embarrassing needs and was somewhat brusque, rough, and in a hurry with me.  Such handling increased my pain, and I exclaimed, “Where is the compassion?”  She responded, and we ended up having a brief spat.  She finished with me and left.

That evening she returned to assist me.  We were standing at the sink where I was washing my hands. Recognizing she had a bit of an accent, I asked her what her first language was.  She responded, “Arabic and French.” I replied that I studied Arabic and French and spoke a bit of Arabic to her.  She told me she was from Casablanca, Morocco; I told her I’ve been to Casablanca and that I lived in Tunisia (both North African Arab Muslim countries).  I asked her if she was Muslim, to which she replied, “Yes.”  She asked me what I was doing in Tunisia.  Thinking it best not to say I was a missionary, I told her I was a language student, which was also 100% correct. Her name is Fatima. We continued in the friendliest and warmest of conversations.  I told her that the young Tunisian girls gave me an Arabic name, Basma (“she who smiles” or “smiling face”).  As she left, I called to her and said, “Fatima, I want you to know I love couscous!”  That’s North Africa’s main dish.  She said she would bring me some.

After she left, I was touched by our renewed friendly relationship.  I considered what transpired and remembered I still possessed several Arabic Bibles.  I pondered giving her an Arabic Bible as a gift but didn’t want to offend her.  I decided to pray much about the possibility.  I asked one of my residence hall mates with a key to my apartment to bring an Arabic Bible to me.  She actually brought me a North African colloquial Arabic Bible and my Arabic hymnal.  I prayed for opportunity and wisdom for what to say to Fatima that would not offend her and asked friends to pray for wisdom also.

Several days later, she was on morning duty and came in to get me up. I couldn’t get out of bed on my own.  I asked her first to bring me the two books on a shelf in my room.  She handed them to me, and this is what I said:

“Fatima, I am at the end of life, though perhaps not soon.  I don’t know what will happen to these books when I pass or where they will land.  This book—referring to the Bible—is called Al Kitab Al Quddus (قدوس‎ / بكتاب‎ /), The Holy Book.  I have marked where the New Testament begins.  It will show you what and why Christians believe about Jesus.  I’ve also inserted a slip of paper with my name, telephone number, and signed with my name Basma in Arabic.  This other book is a hymnal, and it contains songs I sang in Tunisia.  I want to offer them to you as a gift.”

Fatima broke out in a big smile and thanked me profusely.  I was relieved she did not appear offended.

As I was eating breakfast later, Ginger, an African American Christian nurse on duty came and said: “Helen, you won’t believe this.  Fatima came to me and with a big smile and showed me the books you gave her and said, ‘Look what Helen gave me.’” I instantly felt confirmed she received the Bible and hymnal with pleasure.  This to me was God’s confirmation that He was the major participant in this event.  I told Ginger it was now up to us to pray the Holy Spirit would give her the curiosity to read it for Him to perform His redemptive work.  Both Ginger and I were two very blessed women that morning!  I experienced a deep joy.  I felt a special bond with Ginger because of our mutual faith.

Two nights later, Fatima was back on our floor handing out medications.  She literally bounded into my room and called me “Beautiful” twice! I counted it another confirmation from the Lord that she graciously and willingly accepted God’s holy Word.

Today, we seldom hear mention of God’s providence—“divine guidance or care.”  Providence is not coincidence; it’s not chance; it’s not luck.  It’s God’s intervention in our lives for His purposes.  It may happen more than we realize, but we fail to recognize it or are insensitive to it; but it’s genuine, it’s real, it’s incredible, and it’s near a miracle.

Providence is expressed in Romans 8: 28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  In this instance, I believe God’s purpose is to reveal to Fatima the truth about Jesus Christ—not what is twisted in the Qur’an, but that Jesus Christ came as God’s gift to humankind to bring redemption and salvation.  We are all sinners at enmity with God as a result of the original fall, rebellion, and sin and need to be reconciled to Him through a sacrificial atonement involving the shedding of blood, as was revealed in the Old Testament or Torah to the Jews through the sacrifice of a lamb.

If Fatima reads the Old Testament, she will learn of God’s choosing Abraham’s descendants through Isaac—the Jews, as His chosen people. If she reads the New Testament, she will learn that Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, was born to die . . . born to pay the penalty for our sins through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the tomb so we may experience forgiveness, justification, and be restored to fellowship with our holy God. As John the Baptist exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1: 28).

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

In my personal valley of humiliation—pain, discomfort, and embarrassing incapacity—this experience of giving God’s holy Word to a North African Muslim became a mountain top experience.  I was elated and overjoyed with the providence that brought a Moroccan Muslim and an American Christian who spoke both French and limited Arabic together for His purpose.  What chance outside of God’s intervention would there have been for two unlikely persons to come in contact with each other?

God’s providence, purpose, and the prayers of Christians became the three “P”s in a pod that might result in Fatima’s reconciliation with God and perhaps also members of her family and others.  She is now able to learn of the truth, light, and eternal life that Jesus Christ came to give.  With continued prayer, perhaps these three “P”s” will result in a fourth “P”—peace with Allah, the genuine “Compassionate” and “Merciful” of which each chapter of the Qur’an begins, but sadly of which few, if any, Muslims experience or understand.

Helen Louise Herndon is a member of Central Presbyterian Church (EPC) in St. Louis, Missouri. She is freelance writer and served as a missionary to the Arab/Muslim world in France and North Africa.