Sometimes it’s good…
by S. M.
She was late that day–that day in Tehran 5 years ago when Mahdy took her son to the dentist, and so arrived late at the meeting place afterwards; that day the police were everywhere, and the sisters and brothers had been taken. After taking one look around, Mahdy left again quickly. That day her life changed forever.
Sometimes it’s good to be late. Her life changed, but the hand of her Master was on her.
Mahdy and her husband and son were advised to get out of Iran quickly after that day. Thankfully they all had passports, so they put their savings into cash and flew immediately to Turkey, where they didn’t need a visa. From there, they flew to Venezuela, another country that is friendly with Iran. They paid an “agent” $5000 and gave him their passports. The “agent” disappeared, and now they were not only stateless–they had nothing to show their identity. They had no choice but to start the long trek to the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping and praying they might be granted asylum.
They were unaware during those days—those days when they were walking through the Darien gap, the roadless stretch of rainforest between Columbia and Panama. They walked and slept under the trees and walked again the next day. Eventually, they joined up with other migrants walking north who built fires at night. They asked what the fires were for and were told it was to protect the group from the animals in the forest. They had no idea.
Sometimes it’s good to be unaware. They knew nothing about the dangers of a central American rainforest, but the hand of the Master protected them during those dangerous nights.
Mahdy and Emam were escaping oppression and injustice. They feared for their lives at home and they feared for their lives on the road. And yet, they were guided and protected. Their son became ill on the road and a kind doctor in Costa Rica treated him and sent them on to the next border country instead of back to where they had come from. They arrived at the US-Mexico border and were sent to San Diego, where a social worker found them a Farsi-speaking lawyer and gave them connections to the local Persian community which found a place for them to stay while they tried to sort out their paperwork.
The road has not been easy. The traumas of that terrible two-month, nine-country trek are still with them. But slowly, as they were granted first asylum and then green cards, their lives stabilized. They found jobs and have settled into the routine of life. However, except for the kindness of friends who saw them, cared for them, and helped meet their needs, they would still be stateless, outcast, and alone. They have been seen. They have been heard. They have been protected.
The Master, who does not forget the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden, the homeless, or the wanderer—that Master stretched out his hand to care for them. And he continues to loosen the evil that holds us, to let the oppressed go free, to share food with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into houses.
Sometimes it’s good to lose everything in order to gain something far greater. Sometimes. And the light of dawn rises on us all.
Further exploration
- Luke 1:78-79
- “The Darien Gap: migrant route of last resort”
- “Christian Convert Who Fled Iran and Was Ousted From U.S. Finds a New Home”
On your knees
Pray Luke 1:78-79 over the persecuted around the world and especially those who are displaced.
In your community
- Learn about the persecuted: “State of the Golden Door.” Has anyone in your community suffered persecution and displacement? How could you reach out to them with light and peace?
- If you are a U.S. citizen, contact your representatives and tell them how you feel about refugees like Mahdy and her family and about the persecuted: https://whosmyrep.org.
Post Author
S. M. was born and raised in Asia and spent over 30 years teaching in Asia, 25 of which were in a mountain city. She loves the cultures and nations of the world and how the Master has stamped His image on his precious people everywhere.
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