A story of courage from Afghanistan

Many of us living in our comfortable lifestyle in a cosmopolitan city like Singapore, would have thought little of the anguish and sufferings from refugees of many third-world countries.

I was reading an article from Reader's Digest (November 2007 Edition), "The Other Side of the Sky", and was truly touched by the true-life story related by the author Farah Ahmedi. She told of a heart-rending story of how she lost one of her legs in a land-mine accident in Afghanistan when she is only seven, and how she came to America with her mother as a refugee after losing her father, sisters and brothers. This was in the 1990s and the country had been devasted by wars with the then Soviet Union and the mujahideen.

My tears swelled when I read of her encounter with a kind German lady, Christina, while she was being fitted with a prosthetic leg at a German hospital, courtesy of a German humanitarian organisation. Christina had been consoling her, encouraging her every day by her bedside, visiting and bringing her toys, flowers, cards and candy --- something which Farah had never imagined to possess. Christina even brought her home for dinner when she was stronger. This lady was an angel to Farah. Such acts of kindness gave some one the strength to live on.

This is a great lesson of God's grace for me. Despite the odds against Farah, surely God was watching over her. The Greek orginal meaning of "grace" is "to help on one's way" (Jedidiah Tham, "The Apple of His Eye", 2004, Living Lillies, p. 63). When the going gets touch, we need to pause and listen to God's comforting words, even when the waiting for God's intervention seems years away. I guess the application for me is believing in God's favour and be reminded that He is always by my side despite the odds against me. By knowing that "help is on the way", I can seek to become a champion in the battles of life with God as my guide.

By the way, in case you are wondering Farah's fate, it was a happy ending for both Farah and her mother. They now live in Chicago in a comfortable apartment. Farah is now studying in a local university and contemplating a design course on prostheses --- giving life back to those affected by the loss of a limb.