JUANITA was a little Indian girl. Her parents were well-to-do farmers and so she was one of the high caste. They lived in a village where there was no Christian mission of any kind and so Juanita never heard anything of the Saviour’s love nor the Word of God. Taught to worship only deaf and dumb idols how great was the darkness that reigned in her poor little heart.
One day it was discovered that Juanita had leprosy. The local Indian doctor could not do anything for her but someone told her parents of a leper hospital carried on by kind Christian missionaries. Instead of keeping and hiding their little girl, as many have done until it is too late, the parents brought her to the hospital.
At first Juanita did not like mixing with girls of other castes, but eventually she became one of them. For the first time in her life she learned that Jesus loved her and had given His life to save her. She learned too that no matter what the caste, or what the color of our skin, all are sinners and all need Jesus as our Saviour.
One afternoon while the missionary lady was speaking to a group, some wished to profess their faith in Christ and little Juanita came forward saying, “I have trusted Christ. One Sunday afternoon I took Jesus into my heart; that was two and a half months ago when the doctor was preaching.” Her face fairly shone with joy and gladness. Light had filled her heart; the darkness had gone.
In her first real prayer to God little Juanita said: “God our Father, Thou art Light. There was darkness in my heart, but through reading Thy Word, Light has come. Do not let me walk on the dark road to destruction, but give me a place in heaven, I earnestly ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen.” Although she hardly knew it the dear girl used the very words of Scripture in addressing God as her Father.
Perhaps because we were born and raised in Christian homes we thought we were better than children of other lands, but, no, if we do not know Christ as our Saviour then our hearts are just as dark as that of Juanita before she trusted the Lord. We hope the reader is one who has found all in Christ and is no longer in darkness but has the light of life.
ML-05/06/1973