Abdul let the front door of the apartment swing shut behind him and headed to the pantry for a snack. Although he’d spent the last two hours at a restaurant, his animated conversation about baptism with his friend Daoud had been more interesting than anything on the menu.

Abdul had only been a believer for a month. After the 17-year-old fled from his war-torn country, he found rest and safety in the home of John, a Frontiers field worker, and decided to follow Jesus after reading a Bible in his language. He’d been eager to be baptized as soon as he understood its significance.

Daoud, on the other hand, had been a Jesus follower for several years, but he was afraid to take the step of baptism because his family would almost certainly disown him.

Abdul smiled and grabbed a handful of dates from the pantry. By the end of their time together, Daoud agreed that baptism was an important step of faith. He had decided to take the plunge—quite literally—that weekend. 

Abdul’s phone began to ring, breaking into his thoughts. Popping a date into his mouth, he fished the vibrating device from his pocket. It was a neighbor from his hometown whom he hadn’t seen since he fled across the border several weeks earlier. Usually, the two teens texted. A phone call meant something serious had happened.

Wiping a shaking and sweaty hand on his shirt, he dropped onto the sofa and pressed the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Your father has been taken by militants!” His former neighbor’s voice was strained with panic. “And your mother is in the hospital from shock.”

The phone slipped from Abdul’s hand and dropped to the rug.   

Abdul doubled over and vomited on the floor, sank to his knees, and wretched again.

John ran into the room. “What’s wrong?” He knelt on the floor beside Abdul and placed a hand on his back.

Abdul let out an anguished moan. “My father has been kidnapped. He’ll almost certainly be killed! I don’t think my mother can survive that.” He began to shake with the force of his sobs.

John helped him onto the couch and cleaned up the living room. They sat together long into the night as John prayed for Abdul’s family.

When he had no more tears to cry, Abdul pulled himself from the couch. “I just want to sleep,” he told John.

After dragging himself into the bathroom, Abdul locked the door and stared in the mirror at his puffy eyes.

Sleep wouldn’t help. He didn’t know how he could go on without his mother and father.

“Abdul?” John’s knock sounded at the door. “I wanted to check on you.”

Abdul slumped to the floor, face in his hands, as John opened the door and sank beside him, praying for Abdul and his parents.

Abdul said his own silent prayer as night shifted into day. “Why have all these bad things happened to me, God? Please let me just die.”

Then John prayed out loud. “Lord, show Abdul that You have a purpose for him that he hasn’t seen yet. Show him that his life is valuable and that You don’t want him to waste it.”

Abdul turned that thought over in his mind. What could God’s plans for him be? If God had something for him to do, that would be worth living for.

Over the following weeks, Abdul’s devastation dulled to sadness as John and his friends stayed close to encourage him. He continued to ponder what purpose God might have for him and combed the Bible for insight.

A few days later, Abdul began to discover what God’s purpose for him might be.

A soft sea breeze ruffled his hair as Abdul watched Daoud get baptized at the beach. He was glad that he’d encouraged Daoud to show his commitment to Jesus through baptism. The joy from the small gathering that had come to witness the event buoyed Abdul’s spirits.

As Daoud came up from the water, soaked and grinning, Abdul’s heart thudded. Encouraging Daoud to take this major step in his faith had come naturally to Abdul. Perhaps God’s purpose for him was to share the hope he had found through Jesus. He decided he would search for opportunities to tell people that Jesus is worth living for and show them how to follow Him.

Pray:

• Pray that God will show Muslim men and women drowning in hopelessness that they have a purpose.
• Lift up field workers as they walk through traumatic situations with the people they disciple.
• Praise God for showing Abdul that his life has value.

**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**

Main photo on iStock

Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/child-of-hope-2/