Changes

By Eulaine Liza Dawa

Liza is leaving her country. At the young age of twenty, she believes that this is the only way to get herself and her family out of poverty.

“Wherever God leads me, I will go,” she keeps telling herself. Her principle in life is as hard as a stone; the doctrines taught to her remain still.

Liza grew up as a Christian Baptist -- a pretty conservative and obedient child of God indeed. She appears to be following all the laws of the Church and of the Bible, but as she began her new life abroad, everything seems to be changing.

Modernity versus modesty. Thinking about it, she remembered Pastor Earnhart’s sermon: “We live in a modern world but it doesn’t mean that we have to lose our modesty by wearing skimpy clothes.” But did she listen to those principles?

From longer skirts to shorter skirts; from decent blouses to backless blouses and plunging necklines. Is this what she really wants?

In her mind, she wants to try it. “There’s nothing to lose if I wear those, right?”
Once, a man of deep hazel eyes named Deepak approached her while she was having a good time at a pub and said, “Hey, can we dance?” After dancing wildly, he asked her for a drink.

After the first gulp, she wanted another.

And another.

She had never done these things before. Is this what they call freedom?

In her mind, she whould like to believe that it is freedom. Freedom away from her family, her friends, and her church.

Is she away from God? No, because God sees everything that she does.

As she goes away from her rock solid foundation, she’s also bending the rules day by day. She then loses her good testimony as a Baptist.

Time will come, God’s trumpet shall sound.

One time, her friend called her mom to give an alert on what’s been happening to her. With great confidence, Liza’s mother replied, “I do believe that my daughter knows her limitations.” Goodness, what could be more saddening?

She’s having an unbeliever for a boyfriend. Their cultural differences are radical. Their beliefs are pretty much worlds apart. Is she really bidding goodbye to holiness and saying welcome to worldliness? Is this really how her story should develop?

In the crossroad of confusion and despair, all we have to do is pray and ask God to lead us in His path of righteousness. Let us not allow ourselves to jump into worldly affairs up to the point of neglecting our spirituality. We should rather be strong; we should hold on and faint not. Let God be our foundation.

Let us not allow the world to change us but rather, let us change the world.