God Uses Motherhood to Redeem the World
Years ago, in a Middle Eastern town too small to appear on any sort of map, something miraculous happened. An unassuming teenage girl received some unexpected news that transformed her unremarkable existence into the very crux of God’s redemptive arc.
This young teenage girl’s name was Mary, and she was from a humble, low-income family whose lineage to the nation’s greatest king had long been forgotten. She was already betrothed to a man in town, committed to alleviating her parents’ financial stress through a strategic marriage.
Everything about this character and her setting appeared unremarkable. But the plot of her story was about to receive a divine twist…
An angel of the Lord appeared, alerting her that she was going to be a mother. And not by natural means. She would be visited by the Holy Spirit to conceive, bringing the very Son of God into her broken and aching world.
As a young woman in an ancient rural society, she had everything to lose. And yet her response reflected courageous faith:
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Persecuted Mothers Walking in Mary’s Footsteps
At Help The Persecuted, we come alongside mothers whose lives, like Mary’s, have been dramatically altered by the introduction of Jesus Christ. Mothers like…
Wafa, who was suddenly deported back to the land where her life was first threatened by persecution. She is indefinitely separated from her daughters, who are facing death threats on account of their faith.
Leila, who suffered physical abuse from her husband upon following Christ. She came home with her young children one day to find an empty apartment, abandoned by her husband with no means of supporting her family.
Nesrine, whose husband left the country with their only son after learning of her conversion to Christianity. She is devastated and alone, unsure if she’ll ever see her child again.
Lamia, a Syrian refugee living in Turkey, who was abandoned by her husband after coming to Christ. She now cares for her three disabled children on a meager wage, facing persecution and threats of deportation regularly.
These women live in a paradox that Mary knew all too well: one that involves experiencing God’s high favor and holy presence while simultaneously being shamed and reviled by the world.
What Mothers Lose to Persecution
The consequences they face for obeying God are not too dissimilar from those Christ’s own mother must have considered. Their marriages are at stake. Livelihoods, often dependent on their husbands, are in danger. Custody of their own children—children they painstakingly brought into this world—is threatened. They lose friends, family members, and physical safety.
They continue to courageously raise their children to know and walk with Jesus, knowing they cannot protect them when persecution inevitably arises. Years after that fateful meeting with the angel, Mary would be in shambles at the foot of the Cross, watching her son tortured and mutilated to the point of death.
Through their tears, sheer exhaustion, stress, and anguish, these persecuted mothers—our dear sisters in Christ—put another foot forward, clutching the steady arm of their Savior through every dark and perilous valley.
Like Mary, they continue to choose—against all odds—to serve the Lord…accepting His will no matter where it may take them.
Helping Persecuted Mothers This Mother’s Day
Our Field Ministry Team is meeting with these women of faith—believers like Wafa, Leila, Nesrine, and Lamia—and providing:
—Invitations to Spiritual Retreats for those left weary, unsure of how to carry on.
—Medical care and trauma counseling for those fleeing life-threatening persecution.
—Enduring Livelihood grants for those with dreams, desperate to also put food on the table.
—Children’s ministry to support kids left fatherless by persecution.
This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the veritable strength of persecuted mothers. They are facing the dangers of persecution, working tirelessly for a living wage, and facing lonely, sleepless nights…all with little mouths to feed and growing souls to shepherd.
It is an honor to serve them as they serve Christ.