Meisha

Meisha was a refugee in a war-torn country.

His village and all he had ever known were destroyed by an oppressive army, and he was forced to become a porter, carrying the supplies of a soldier through a rainy jungle while staring down the barrel of a gun. Similar to in Jesus’s day when a Roman soldier forced a person to carry his gear for miles.

Then one day a soldier forced Meisha at gunpoint to dismantle a land mine. The mine exploded, and Meisha lost both hands and both eyes in an instant.

They left him there, thinking he was dead, but he did not die.

Several years ago, someone shared with him the story of the Gospel of Jesus and he identified with a God who knew his pain. His life was gloriously transformed. Meisha is now so excited about the Gospel that he has people lead him from refugee camp to refugee camp so that he can share the Gospel with those who have not heard about Jesus.

People who know him say that Meisha’s joy is infectious. He is far happier than most people who can see, have both hands, and don’t live in survival poverty in a refugee camp. His joy springs from his gratitude for the cross.

Meisha knows in a short time he will be with Christ forever.

Meisha models this by spilling out the joy of the Gospel in the middle of a refugee camp. He embodies the writings of the apostle Paul, who said,

“Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

NOTES:

Stories like Meisha’s are a reality check – for pretty much all of us, given we have lead a life of comfort our entire lives. We’re so blessed and so full of opportunity, yet how often do we act like we have nothing, when comparatively speaking our lives are a paradise that most others in this world can only dream of, and will neve have.

Its humbling to read stories of faith like Meisha’s, knowing that when things don’t go our way we’re ready to give up on God, to point a finger at Him for the least little thing that didn’t go our way.

There’s faith and there’s pure faith. I truly believe that someone like Meisha who has every reason in the world to curse God yet lives for the joy of spreading His word is an example of that. There’s a lot (myself included) we can all learn from stories like his.