Blooming in the Light
It was a normal day in 2025. The smell of freshly roasted coffee was in the air as Marissa, far from her home in Africa, bounced between customers in an Arab Gulf coffee shop. Although Marissa had braved the unknown to come to the Gulf for work opportunities, her life had been gripped by fear in other areas. She believed in God, but she questioned his love. She wished to get baptized, but a fear of water paralyzed her. Today, as she worked, a conversation between two customers suddenly captivated her attention. They were talking about “beholding Jesus.” Could she have heard that right? In talking to them, Marissa discovered that they were Christians, just like her, but … they had a depth of peace and freedom that she desperately desired.
Ruby, a MAPS Global missionary who brought up the conversation, soon visited the coffee shop again. She addressed Marissa by name, remembering that her name meant “beloved,” and told her how she was beloved by God. As they talked, Marissa felt her heart opening up ever so slightly, like a morning glory slowly unfolding to welcome the first rays of light. Her life had been gripped by fear. Could she believe that God truly loved her? Marissa and Ruby exchanged contacts and planned to hang out.
That weekend, Ruby and Marissa got together to watch a baptism in the ocean. As the two women traveled to the baptism location, they discussed the love of Jesus, his grace, and His ability to break the chains of fear. Marissa described her fear of water, which kept her from being baptized. As Ruby shared her testimony with Marissa, however, the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit entered the vehicle. They were both enveloped with Jesus’s love. Marissa felt her fear melt away as the flower of her heart completely unfolded to receive the bright warmth of Jesus’s love. When they finally arrived at the ocean, Marissa was completely free of fear and decided she, too, wanted to get baptized that very day! She had gone from unwilling to undone; from fearful to free. After struggling for so long, she was now secure in the love of Jesus. Thanks to a chance encounter with a missionary that ended in a beautiful baptism, Marissa’s life would never be the same.