THE UNFORGETTABLE LADY
In the 1980s, she was a lady who changed lives…she brought on a mighty revival and transformation in many people.
She was not always like that. Years ago, she was a teacher in Darjeeling, India. She had two young children. Her husband worked in the air force many miles away, in Bagdogra.
She was hardworking, sincere and faithful in all she did. However, slowly a nagging pain started eating her up. She did not know why she was feeling this way. She sunk into a pool of depression. The depression swallowed her up and she became suicidal.
One night she decided to take her life. The pain and depression was overwhelming. Mrs. Bhakre tells us that she was ready to end it that very night, but something made her cry out to God in her pain, not really expecting Him to hear her.
The next thing she knew was that she postponed her plan to end her life that night, not sure what made her delay…There was a terrible rain storm that night with the wind howling eerily through the giant fir trees.
Somewhere around the dead of the night, there was a resounding-ground-shaking crash. Everyone got up with a terrible shock, almost afraid to see what had happened.
Finally, gingerly, they made their way out of the cottage. What they saw horrified them! The old gnarled huge fir tree had crashed down in the storm missing the cottage by inches! It was a miracle. If the giant tree had crashed down on the cottage, it would have smashed the wooden cemented cottage to smithereens.
When Mrs. Esther Bhakre saw this, all she could do was stare in wonder praising God realizing how close to death the whole family was that night, and how God spared them.
When you are inches away from death, you suddenly appreciate the gift of life that God has given you.
Mrs. Bhakre wanted to live again. God poured out new life into her that night. She was born again, that very night. It was as if the fire of God had entered her life. She was baptized in the Spirit of God.
The next morning, she was a new woman. She shared her testimony everywhere, with the teachers, with students, with everyone. She had the Word of God in her heart burning like a flame that could not be quenched.
She shared the Gospel at the cost of many people even calling her a fanatic and mocking her. As she shared the Gospel, her dark brown eyes glowing and her dark wavy hair framed her serene face as she spoke in a calm but strong voice.
There was no stopping her. The Word of God was like fire in her bones and a bubbling brook that could not be stopped.
Eventually, many, many came to know Christ including teachers, students, and others. Those who accepted came to a deeper relation with Jesus because of the powerful Bible studies she started. Some folks over the years may have retreated and backed out, but many more came to a deeper walk with God.
I saw her some years ago in Mumbai. I was sad that I had misplaced her phone number. I had people asking me where she was.
She was an amazing lady. The Spirit of God was upon her life. She walked the walk and talked the talk, with kindness and love.
When the fire of God is upon a person’s life, people search out and look for them because they carry the blessing of the anointing.
Mrs. Bhakre was touched by the fire of God.
When we are touched by the fire of the Holy Spirit, we can never go back to the plains of compromise. If we slide back, the Holy Spirit keep convicting us to move forward…and if we really belong to God, we will respond to that conviction.
We keep moving forward to the hills of holiness and we never stop until we reach the mountain top…spiritually speaking.
Jeremiah 20:9: “…..But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not hold back.”
© Rita Farhat Kurian
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