By Elisabeth Valarmathy Edwards
Greetings to all of my readers!!
This is my personal account of powerful encounter with the One who changed my life forever.
Early Life
Born in India and brought up in a Hindu family, I was named Valarmathy, which means, “Growing Moon.” As part of growing up, every Friday evening I went to Hindu temple and performed traditional rituals like pouring oil in the lamp and doing pooja.
As I grew into my teen life, my emotional and psychological needs also changed. Since both my parents were working they could not spend much time with me. I started feeling lonely, no one to talk to and share my inner feelings. This led me to feel inferior among my peers and lacked confidence in life. Slowly started facing failure after failure and lost hope in life. My parents could not identify what I was going through. Though we had a big extended family with many uncles and aunts, cousin brothers and sisters, still I felt lonely. Felt unwanted, rejected and unloved and as a direct result of that started struggling in my studies. Tried my best but could not do succeed. So went to temples and prayed to gods to help me to come out of these painful life issues and continued for years but with no change.
As years passed by, reached my 10th grade which is one of the important education level in Indian school academics. It is expected from every student to get high grades and top scores to enroll into promising higher education. Due to high pressure to succeed in my education but faced with continued failures, I said to myself, if I am not successful in this 10th grade final exam I should not live anymore and should end my life.
Life changer
Meanwhile, I had a dear friend from school for most of my high school years who is a Christian. During these desperate days, one day she told me about VBS (Vacation Bible School) in her Church and invited me to attend. Being my dear friend’s invitation, I decided to go. When we went, it was the first time I had ever gone to a place called Church, and could not resist watching how they were singing songs with joy in their face and hands up in the air in action and everyone was happy. I was really awestruck by the Scripture verse they were memorizing: “Behold I make all things new, the old has passed away.” They ended the day by praying for each other needs. My heart was touched by the care and love I saw there. A good seed was sown in my hungry heart that day and was watered by God’s Spirit.
I returned home with a change and from that day onwards whenever I was feeling alone I had an urge in my heart to look for a Bible and read it. But I don’t know how I can get a Bible. Then I remembered that I had been given a small pocket Bible in my School when I was 3rd grade, long ago. I was studying in a Catholic school then and the New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs was given to me by Gideon’s International. So I started searching fervently for that Bible all the rooms in my home because I had previously used that Bible years ago to play a Teacher game. As a elementary school student, I used that Bible for playful reasons to pretend myself as Teacher and that small Bible as a book I hold to teach my imaginary students. So I was pretty sure that I did not throw that small Bible away and therefore it would be in some nook or corner of my house. I searched everywhere and finally found it in a corner filled with dust and spider webs.
I did not know how to read it, but I found in the beginning there were some pages that said, “Where to find help, when…” There were many Bible references for every situation in life and somehow I identified Psalms and I started reading. Oh, it was all I needed! Those verses poured out love and compassion. I was introduced to a loving God who sees our heart, who hears us and when we call Him in time of trouble he fights against our enemies and delivers us. That begin the healing of my wounds. Continuously read it day after day, though no one around me in my family knew about it. That was the beginning of my faith in Jesus.
HE and Me
I started holding on to Him for whatever challenges I undergo. I clung to Him in every walk of my life and began seeing changes in every aspect of my life. He was with me all the time. Whenever I called His name, He was there to help me. He delivered me from so many bad and negative thoughts. My academic results turned around. I excelled in my 10th grade with first class results. This built up my faith in the Living God as I was taught in the VBS.
Everything in my life changed new. I decided to live and not to die. When I was in my 12th grade, another important year that is going to play a vital role in my academic future, I was fearful how I will make it. But I continued to put my faith in Him and did my best…..you know what happened? Neither my school, nor my teacher, nor my family members, nor I ever believed I would excel with Math 93% and Science 90%. These high scores helped me to be admitted into Engineering College with 4-year Engineering degree with specialization in Computer Science Engineering.
It all started there…and still continues with more and more faith, maturity and miracles through different situations of Life. He has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever. I never knew Him nor loved Him and I remember saying bad things about Christianity. But in spite of all that, He loved me, watched over me, delivered me, and is still carrying me. I have no words to verbally thank Him. I am still alive. Now I am Elisabeth Valarmathy Edwards with a wonderful and ministering husband and 3 beautiful God-given children – all because of Jesus, my Savior.
I and my husband Edward has joined hands together in fulfilling the purpose of our salvation and miraculous life God has blessed us to share with others through this GoodNews International Ministries.
God bless you and may change you forever for His glory.
Elisabeth Edwards