Twenty years ago, I met Ruby. I was ten years old when she spotted me sitting under a tree in the summer heat of St. Louis at a gathering of adopted children from India. Alone with my thoughts in the shade, I was overwhelmed by meeting other children who looked like me. For once I was in the majority of those around me, but I still felt out of place. As I struggled to feel a sense of belonging, I heard a tender voice call me, “Abhilasha.” I perked up at the sound of a name I’d only seen written on my adoption decree. Ruby, the dark-skinned and brown-eyed woman who spoke to me, explained that she was the caretaker of the orphanage where I had been taken as an infant. My young heart was overwhelmed by the experience. We exchanged pleasantries but not much more.
Twenty years later I met Ruby at a coffee shop in Seattle. For years she had been looking for me and finally had tracked me down through mutual connections I didn’t even know we had. The same tender voice called me by name, “Abhilasha.” This time, instead of a quick exchange, we hugged and chatted like old friends. She explained, “All I wanted was for you to know the life-saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.” I fought back tears as I responded with a simple, “Yes, I love Him so much.”
As our conversation progressed, she shared details of my story I had never known before. In the fall of 1986, she had had a burning desire to care for a baby. As the caretaker of an orphanage with dozens of children in her custody, she knew this longing must be from the Lord. Then, at two days old, I was brought to her, the baby she had longed for. She named me Abhilasha, which in Hindi means desire. She held me, cuddled me, bathed me, and cared for me as her own. God’s hand of grace revealed through her words astounded me. I drove home in silence and then wept on my couch for hours. That day I fell in love with Jesus all over again. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that His hand had been on me from the minute I was born and that He is exactly who He says He is—a loving God full of grace and truth.
After my brief meeting with Ruby, I spent the rest of the day sobbing on the floor. My gratitude for God’s grace left me undone and completely unable to keep my tears in their ducts. It was the sweetest cry I ever had. No matter what you have been through, Jesus is for you. Able to offer Himself, His grace and truth when you need it most.
Friend, no matter what you have been through, Jesus is for you. Able to offer Himself, His grace and truth when you need it most. He will meet you, lift you up, and hold you close. His Love changes everything when He reveals Himself to you and me.
Adapted from the six-week Bible study Never Alone: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts, Tiffany Bluhm, Ó 2018 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.