Last week Shad, Joy, Joanna and I, went with Nombali and Sanele to visit definitely the oldest woman I’ve ever met. When we got to her homestead that overlooked the beautiful mountains and with puppies running all around, my excitement was in the fact that I was sure she would be able to tell us all about her life and pour all of her wisdom into us. Unfortunately we found the exact opposite.
We were pointed to a tree with a fragile, frail woman laying flat on her stomach on a blanket. After our “Sawabonas” (hello in SiSwati), I was already captivated by her beautiful blue eyes. As we sat there and asked her about her 9 children that had passed away and 3 that were still alive, all I could see was a hopeless and miserable woman in excruciating pain. She kept on repeating how she felt as though she was a burden to everyone and didn’t even care if there was anything to look forward to after dying, all she wanted to do was die and didn’t know why she was still alive.
At this point, my heart was pounding. This over 100 year old woman was someone desperate for hope, healing and love. So we decided to ask her if she had ever heard the story of Jesus before. After she said no and that she never went to church, I can remember Joy and I just looking at each other both taken back with excitement and wondering where to even start in the divine story of our Savior.
We got to share about our lives and how our identity is in The Lord and how we are enough for Him even when we feel like a burden to everyone else. How we don’t have to be at church to be in God’s presence because He was surrounding us right then and there and everywhere. How we have given up ourselves to live for the King of kings because Jesus died with our names in mind, which is exactly why we were there. To have a endless amount of hope that our home is not here on earth, but when he calls us home one day to Him in heaven and how Jesus is the only way to get there (John 14).
I could feel exactly what The Lord was doing. He was holding onto her by a thread so that she would have the time to accept the free gift to become one of His precious daughters. To captivate her heart and soul as a Father. To give her eternal life. A place where there will be no more suffering and pain, but a place of freedom that is face to face with Him. My constant prayer is that I will one day be able to see Gogo in Heaven.
So often we wait until tomorrow to do this or do that, but why wait? Who knows if we will wake up tomorrow..why not choose today to buy into the most precious gift of freedom and grace that will ever be offered to you?
Even if visiting Gogo Mavimbela was all that The Lord allowed us to witness this whole trip, it would have made flying 16 hours across the ocean totally worth it.
