AMAZING STORY
A Hindu's Crisis of Faith
By David DiCicco
The 700 Club
CBN.com
–“When I was born, the astrologer told my father that it is not worth raising me as his daughter. He said, ‘It’s better if you end her life now as a baby.’ It kind of poisoned his mind and thoughts towards me.”
Radha was raised in a devout Hindu family in India. She had a strained relationship with her father; one that worsened over time. “Every business failure he endured or financial loss he blamed it on me. He became an alcoholic and he abused us physically and verbally.”
She sought comfort and acceptance in her family’s faith. “Every time I went to Hindu temples and worshipped gods and goddesses there was peace. But when I came out of the temples, there was always a void, and that void was so strong hopelessness was always there.”
Radha turned to education in her search for purpose. She excelled in her studies. “I did my masters in medical and psychiatric social work and after I completed that, I was given a job to work as a counselor in a cancer hospital.”
She provided care and comfort for many of the patients. However, this only deepened the emptiness she felt in her own life. “People were suffering, young and old. Some of them had asked me what would happen to their soul once they die. I didn’t have any answers. i felt really desperate. So I kind of filled my void with more education.”
Radha received a scholarship to study in America. But life seemed harder than ever. “The culture shock was so great. I missed home and my family. I couldn’t concentrate much and my grades started going down.”
She was on the verge of losing her scholarship. But she had a greater problem. “I had only thirty-six dollars in my account and my social security card was stamped ‘not authorized for work.’”
It was impossible for Radha to pay for her own education, and she was unable to afford a plane ticket back to India. The fear of being homeless took over. “I was really afraid of the future, didn’t know what would happen to me in this foreign land. It was a major crisis in my life.”
Radha sought help from the only source she knew. I cried out to all the Hindu gods and goddesses and asked them, ‘Which of you is the true living god so I can just cry to one of you? I’m crying to all of you not knowing who’s answering my prayers.’”
“I heard, ‘These are man-made images. I am a holy God. Go to church you will find Me.” I said, ‘There’s absolutely no way. That couldn’t be true.’ I rejected the thought. But in my desperation, when the thought was so strong – I needed an answer.”
A fellow student invited her to church. “I sat in the last seat. I started listening to them worshipping. There was such joy in my heart, I couldn’t explain. There was peace in my heart.
“The pastor said that God wants to have a relationship with me, as a Father-daughter relationship. All I have to do was just repent for my sins; invite Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I was a pride filled person. I said, ‘There’s no way I’m a sinner. I’m a good person. I’m a good social worker. I’ve helped hundreds of people in my life.’”
She refused the pastor’s invitation. Over the next few weeks she wrestled with these thoughts. But one night, she had a vision. “When I lay down and tried to sleep, it was like a movie. All the things that are not right in the eyes of God. When I saw that, if these are wrong and sinful in the eyes of God, then I should ask for forgiveness. So I got on my knees by my bed and I said, ‘God, I ask for Your forgiveness. I don’t know much about Jesus, but I invite Him as my only Lord and Savior.’”
The emptiness and loneliness started to disappear. “Now I have this God, this personal God that would walk with me, that would carry me through, that would guide me and counsel me and minister to me. So the fear was taken away from me. From then onwards, miracle after miracle after miracle happened in my life.”
She received a scholarship to another university, which extended her visa. She also moved into a Christian woman’s home where she was mentored in her relationship with God.
Radha’s married now with her own family. She has full assurance that she found the true God she was looking for. “Jesus gave me the sense of security and peace and joy and hope.”
“When you really embrace God’s love, then there’s no fear and there’s no loneliness, no more loneliness. His love surrounds you and He blesses you.”
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