EMBITTERED NO MORE

The following encouraging story is recounted from chapter 35 of Randy Alcorn's book "If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil," a book I heartily recommend...

David Flood was embittered against God. Decades earlier, in 1921, he made great sacrifices to serve God as a missionary in the Belgian Congo. He and his wife, Svea, served with another young couple, the Ericksons. Because a tribal chief would not let them enter his area, they had contact with only one young boy who sold them food. Svea led that boy to Jesus. Then malaria struck and the Ericksons returned to the central mission station. The Floods remained to continue their ministry. Within days of giving birth to a little girl, Svea died.

Stunned and disillusioned, David dug a crude grave where he buried his young wife. David gave his baby girl, Aina, to the Ericksons and returned to Sweden embitted, saying that God had ruined his life. Soon afterwards, the Ericksons died. Again, Aina had no one to care for her. American missionaries brought Aina to the United States where she was adopted, becoming Aggie Hurst.

Years later, a Swedish Christian magazine appeared in Aggie’s mailbox. She didn’t understand the words, but a photo inside shocked her--a grave with a white cross, marked with a name she recognized--that of her mother, Svea Flood.

A college professor translated the article for Aggie. Missionaries came to the Belgian Congo long ago--a white baby was born--the young mother died--one little African boy was led to Christ--the boy grew up and built a school in the village--gradually he won his students to Christ--the children led their parents to Christ--even the tribal chief became a Christian.

After decades of bitterness, one day an old and ill David Flood had a visitor--his daughter, Aina Flood, now Aggie Hurst. She told David the story recounted in the article. She informed her father: "Today there are six hundred African people serving Christ because you and mother were faithful to God’s call in your life." David felt stunned. His heart softened. He returned to God. Weeks later, he died.

Aggie eventually met that African boy, by then the superintendent of a national church in Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo), an association of 110,000 baptized believers.

What a wonderful story! It is amazing how God can turn a tragedy around and use it to His glory! How exciting that, in God's sovereign timing, the daughter was able to share those truths with her father before he died!

Pastor Jerry