A field worker named Maria and I recently visited a Muslim family. The man of the household has two wives—a practice that isn’t uncommon in the local culture.

One of the wives is a new mother of twins. The other wife, Sajida, has no children.

Maria and I couldn’t tell the twins apart, so we asked Sajida which was which.

“How would I know?” Sajida responded. “I’ve never picked up the babies.”

Sajida explained that when her friends are pregnant, she can’t go near them. “Pregnant women are afraid they’ll miscarry if I touch them. And people think that if I touch a child, it’ll get sick or die.”

The reason is that Sajida is barren.

When Maria first came to the field, she was newly married. Whenever she visited a Muslim home, mothers always asked if she and her husband had kids. After telling them that they had none, local mothers ushered their children away from Maria, instructing their little ones to stay on the other side of the room.

Maria felt hurt by this. She didn’t understand why these women were steering their children away from her.

Now we understand. They thought Maria had been cursed by childlessness. Mothers try to protect their children in ways they believe necessary.

In Sajida’s culture, which values large families, childlessness is shameful. It’s viewed as a sort of contagious curse, leaving barren women feeling rejected and isolated.

As messengers of the Gospel, we’re here to display God’s love and truth.

And my teammates and I have done that even when we weren’t aware of it. Like the times when I was pregnant and I gave Sajida big hugs. Clearly, I was unafraid of her and unconcerned for my child. I had no idea that I was crossing a huge boundary of isolation.

There are also the times when I encourage my children to greet Sajida rather than corralling them away from her. In doing so, I proclaim that her barrenness is neither threatening nor dangerous.

As we follow the ways of Jesus, we declare that those who are left on the fringes of society are precious and worthy of relationship.

Please pray that Sajida and other barren women like her will find Christ and embrace Him as their source of their eternal joy.

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

Main photo by Mostafa Meraji

Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/threat-of-barrenness