No matter how chaotic or busy the world around you gets, you can learn to cultivate a place of quiet intimacy with the Lord. In this powerful interview, Mahreen shares how she learned to still her heart in the middle of a crowd. Once she did, she began to hear God’s voice and grow a faith that could not be shaken. This episode will have you longing to step out of the comfort zone and into the joy-filled, purposeful life the Lord has for you.
No matter how chaotic or busy the world around you gets, you can learn to cultivate a place of quiet intimacy with the Lord. In this powerful interview, Mahreen shares how she learned to still her heart in the middle of a crowd. Once she did, she began to hear God’s voice and grow a faith that could not be shaken. This episode will have you longing to step out of the comfort zone and into the joy-filled, purposeful life the Lord has for you.
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Karen:
Have you ever held back from sharing your faith, especially with people of other faiths and cultures? Welcome to the iHOPE Empowers Podcast. This episode is from iHOPE Ministries, Blue Cord Series for women. I'm your host Karen Bejjani. And here's a fresh dose of inspiration to embolden you, to share Jesus with women of other faiths and cultures.
Mahreen:
It isn't just for a small little select group of leaders. This is something that all of us are called to do. The scriptures are the same for all of us to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel. And so if all of us are called to do it and God is going to help all of us to do it.
Karen:
Hello Blue Cord Ambassadors. And welcome back to Part 2 of our podcast. In the last episode our special guest Marheen, shared with us her amazing story of how she came up out of a very traumatic childhood growing up in an Muslim family. And how she felt when she experienced the love of God as a father for the very first time. Feeling His comfort and His nearness was something that she had never experienced growing up praying to the God of Islam. But before we get to the rest of her story, In the Bible God rescued a very special group of people from slavery and many traumatic experiences. He saved the Israelites from Egypt much like Marheen in her Islamic background. And He became a very personal God. After He delivered them from all of this bondage He instructed them in Numbers 15:37 to make a tassel on the corner of their garments and to mark each corner with a blue cord. So that when they looked at that tassel they would always remember that God had delivered them and that He was a holy God and they would remember He was their personal God. That story is what inspired the name of this podcast. The Blue Cord. So today let's recap just a little bit with Mahreen and find out what it was like, how were you thinking and feeling within the first week or so of being saved?
Mahreen:
I would say when I first got saved, I honestly just felt a little bit confused about what it meant to be a Christian. I wasn't quite sure. I knew that I was supposed to go to church and I knew that it would be good possibly to start getting involved in whatever the church had in terms of classes, things like that. I also saw that the church had a really powerful prayer team and they would have prayer meetings. And since I was Muslim and I grew up praying, I thought, oh, this makes sense. I'm probably just supposed to spend a lot of time being part of this prayer group. And so my first six to eight months of being saved, I was just going to many prayer meetings and doing everything within the church. And I had no desire at all to do anything outside of the church, in the slightest, in terms of outreach or anything like that.
Karen:
Yeah. You were learning about your new faith and what that looks like. I recently met a brand new believer who also had come from a Muslim background and she shared with me, wow, Karen, it's so different. There's so much for me to learn. And in that process I realized, yeah, you didn't grow up in the Christian faith. So there was a lot for you to learn in that process. How did you begin to see and talk about sharing the gift of salvation with others?
Mahreen:
So what ended up happening was I was in a prayer meeting one night as I was sitting there and looking around the room, I felt the Lord speak to my heart. I felt like He asked me to go outside of the walls of the church and start evangelizing. And I was completely terrified. I was not considered a very extroverted person. I was much more introverted and I didn't even like public speaking. I was very shy, but I so wanted to please the Lord and make Him happy that I decided to start joining some outreach events that my church had, where bi-weekly, they were going into the inner city and doing a bit of like a soup kitchen type of line and giving soup and clothing donations to the homeless, as well as some well-known gangs that were living near the bridges. In one of the cities in Texas.
Karen:
So here you are an introverted brand-new believer participating in prayer meetings and you feel compelled by the Lord to begin to get outside of the walls of the church to do evangelism. So that's like a moment where for many people it's like a freak-out moment. So how did you, did you wrestle with the Lord for a period of time about that? What actually compelled you outside of the walls of the church? Tell us a little bit about that journey.
Mahreen:
I think I was just meditating on Mark 16:15 where it says "Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole of creation". And I think when I first got saved, I thought, oh, I see some people, they go out, they evangelize. And it's only something that a small little portion of the church is called to do. But as I started to examine scriptures, that would talk about even in Proverbs 11:30. "He who wins souls is wise" and "Go and make disciples of the nations" and all of these types of scriptures because I was sitting in those prayer meetings, but reading my Bible, I felt such a deep conviction in my heart that even if I was introverted, even if I felt nervous that this was something that a Christian was called to do, they were called all Christians, not just a few Christians. All Christians are called to go out into the world to proclaim the Gospel in our neighborhood, wherever it is that we live just to go out and share the story of what Jesus did on the cross so that we could get saved.
Karen:
I think you bring up an important point. It's like, this is really the crux of the matter here because often Christians can grow up here in North America and Western nations knowing about Jesus, all of their lives because they grew up around the church and among the church. And so they might take their salvation experience for granted and really not fully realize the love of our father and then what our father asks us to do. Okay, so you were reading scripture, you were deeply involved in understanding God's word and what He had to say about this. So you knew you needed to be obedient and step out in faith. Do you remember one or two of those early experiences? They were shy, introverted. How did that go for you?
Mahreen:
I think when I first started, I had some false mindsets about even just the homeless. I was doing a lot of homeless ministry in the beginning, and I think there's just a lot of ideas in society about all homeless people were drug addicts and all homeless people just don't want to work, things like that. And I remember that one of my very first ministry opportunities. I met this man named George, and he actually was a high-profile executive at a Fortune 500 company for years. He had a beautiful house. His life was going really well. He had a wife that he really loved and three beautiful children and his wife and children got struck by a drunk driver and they all instantaneously died. And he's fell into such a massive depression about losing his entire family in the course of a single day. That one day he just walked out of his beautiful house and just kept walking and ended up just living under a bridge in Texas, just kind of gave up on life. So that kind of showed me that these ideas that I had, these false ideas that I had, that everybody that was under the bridge, living under the bridge, everybody that was homeless were all dangerous, they're all criminals, all of these sorts of ideas. It wasn't true. George was just a really simple, quiet man who was really brokenhearted and he just couldn't keep working at his very stressful corporate job any longer. So that was one of the very first encounters that I had. And I think encountering him and having ministry time with him and praying for him that opened up my heart to see that I needed to go and share the love of Christ wherever I could go throughout my week.
Karen:
So one of the things that you and I talked about before, and I'd love for you to unpack that a little bit here. I think that one of the things that really resonates with me is when you shared when you know, so deeply within the core of your soul, the love of Christ that is within you, you really deeply know that love as you're out and about and going through your life. We now have kind of a bit of a radar and notice people who need to experience God's love.
Mahreen:
Absolutely. I think that often I will just be standing in a grocery line, just trying to check out and the Lord will just point out someone to me where something about them just looks sad or looks lonely and He'll give me a word for them and I'll just go up to them and I'll just share something so simple. Just the simplest little thing. I've had times where I'll just go to a stranger and just tell them something about you made me feel like I was supposed to come over. I'm a Christian and I just really feel like you need to know that Jesus loves you today. And I remember that I did that at a mall just a few months ago. And when I walked away, this woman ran after me and she grabbed my arm and I turned around and she said, is that true? Is it true that Jesus loves me? No one's ever told that to me before. So it doesn't have to be some great big word. It could be something so simple as that. And you truly could change someone's entire life.
Karen:
Well, and it doesn't always involve you going up to talk to other people too. Sometimes the Lord brings people to you too. So even I know you were on vacation recently and you were at a big national park sitting there reading your Bible and what happened?
Mahreen:
Oh, this is such a funny story, Karen. So what ended up happening was I was sitting, reading my Bible and my Bible cover that I have is very, very colorful. This has all of these colorful scriptures written all over it, like every inch of it. And so I was just reading that Bible. And this woman came up to me that I'd never seen before. And she said, oh, is that your witchcraft book? And I looked at her with so much surprise and I said, excuse me. And she said, oh, that book, it just looks so colorful. And so happy. I just wondered if it was your witchcraft book. And I said, no, actually that is my Bible. And she looked so disappointed. Her face just fell. And she said, well, I know all about that book. And then she started trying to walk away from me, but then I called out and I said, oh, I said, why are you a practicing witch? And she turned around. She said, no, but my best friend is a witch, but I don't practice witchcraft. And I said, oh, I said, well, what do you practice? And she said I don't practice anything. I don't believe any of that type of thing around this part of the country. People are fine if you don't believe in anything. And they respect that. And it was as if she was challenging me to just respect the fact that she believed in nothing. But then the Lord gently told me, no, she actually prays often. She actually is seeking. And so I challenged her and I said, well, you know, I grew up Muslim. I felt pretty far away from God, my whole life. But then I got radically saved. My life has never been the same. My life feels so much happier and better. And I feel that you actually do believe in God. And so she looked at me with such surprise. Then she burst out laughing. She said, actually, no one on earth knows this, but I talked to God all day long from when I wake up until I go to sleep. But I'm just not willing to categorize myself in a certain religion, but I am constantly talking to God. And so it just gave me an opportunity to, just to really unpack the Gospel for her a little bit that way. So yes, in that case, she just came straight up to me and I was able to have a really powerful ministry encounter that way. That's an amazing story.
Karen:
And I can just imagine you in a National Park, that happening. Talk to us a little bit about how you sense the Holy Spirit, guiding you to ask questions, to say things for our listeners are saying, well, I'm not feeling or sensing the Holy Spirit saying things like that to me, how would you counsel them?
Mahreen:
I would definitely encourage them just to try to spend intentional time every single day with the Lord. I know that all of our lives are so busy, but we need to make time with the Lord. Relationship with the Lord, the most important part of our lives, no matter what else is going on. Even if it means waking up just a little bit earlier and having that time. For me, I just, every single day, intentionally worked on having that time to be quiet and be still with the Lord every single day. Sometimes we feel like when we get before the Lord, we need to just rattle off a hundred prayers, that we have a hundred things that we want a breakthrough in, and we're just kind of talking non-stop. And then when we're done with all of our requests, we just go and do the next thing. But actually, it's important to learn, to cultivate that intimacy of quiet of being still and quiet. There are so many scriptures that talk about being still being quiet, resting in the Lord. And as you learn to cultivate that relationship inside of you, and no matter how busy the world gets around you, you have developed something in you that cannot be taken. It cannot be shaken. And so when I go, even in busy cities, because I've already cultivated that place of quiet in my heart with the Holy Spirit, I can just go to that place. Where if I am just in a coffee shop or a restaurant, I can kind of look through a crowd and ask the Lord really gently. Lord, is there somebody here that you want me to go up to and just share a very simple word with? Or do you have something for somebody? And He'll often give that to me because I have learned how to still myself and cultivate it and the ability just to hear His voice.
Karen:
Such a strong word Mahreen. So speaking of that, still voice. I know recently you were out and about just shopping over the 4th of July weekend and you happened to pop into a store and you had an opportunity to share again what happened?
Mahreen:
Yes. So I was out for the 4th of July weekend. And as I was going into this one store, I felt like the Lord spoke to my heart. And He said, ask the woman behind the counter if anything significant happened to her on the 4th of July. So I went in and obediently, she looked up said, hello me. And I said, hello. And then I said, did anything significant happen to you on the 4th of July? And she looked at me with such surprise. And she said, actually, I did not have a good 4th of July. Something did happen. I went on my back porch in the pouring rain and I slipped and I fell and I hit my head on the corner of the step and I fractured my arm and I've got this big gash on my head. So she actually had her arm all hidden on her lap, behind her desk. And she had the gash on her head hidden with her hair. So unless the Lord had even spoken that to me, I wouldn't even have thought to ask her if she needed prayer for anything, but as her and I began to talk, I said, I'm so sorry that you hurt your arm. Has anyone prayed for you? And she said, no, not a single person has asked to pray for me. And I said, do you mind if I pray for you? And she said if you want to go ahead. And so I went and I just put my hand on her arm and I just prayed for God just to touch her arm. And after that prayer time, she told me, she said, that's the most beautiful prayer anyone has ever prayed for me. And when you prayed for me, I felt all this tingling in my arm. I felt all this warmth in my arm. I felt like something's really happening in my arm. And it just really gave me this opportunity with her just to share about Jesus, about His goodness. And so I told her, I said, God has a plan for your life. You have a purpose, you have a destiny. And she looked up with such surprise again. And she said, you don't know this, but when I was laying on the ground with my head bleeding, my arm fractured, I cried out to God and I said, God, are you done with me? Am I dying? Is my time on earth over? And so I told her, I said, see, God wants you to know that He has a destiny and plan where He had me come into the store and just tell you, yes, He does have a plan for you. He does have a destiny for you. And it just really opened up this wonderful, unexpected opportunity to minister, just because I have learned how to stay in a place of quiet in my heart to always be ready. If the Lord wants me to go up to somebody and share.
Karen:
So Mahreen that's also another beautiful story. And as I'm hearing you share, I'm wondering you are strong and courageous. You are a mighty warrior. And what I don't want our listeners to think is, oh my gosh, Mahreen is one of those super Christians. I could never do what she's doing. And I want you to share where does your strength come from? Where does your boldness come from?
Mahreen:
My boldness 100% comes from the Lord. I mean, I couldn't do any of these things. If it wasn't for Him. He is the one orchestrating and coordinating all of these things. All I have to do is just be willing that's all He's asking for any of us. There's nothing about me that's special in any kind of way more than the next Christian. It's just that I'm willing to do it. And I feel that as your listeners, as they're willing, just to step out in little ways, the Lord will just start giving them opportunities more and more to evangelize and minister as well. It isn't just for a small little select group of leaders. This is something that all of us are called to do. The scripture is saying for all of us, go into the world and proclaim the Gospel. And so if all of us are called to do it, then God is going to help all of us to do it, He's not just going to help those that are extroverted. He's going to help all of us, all of the others, like me who are more introverted people to just take that chance, trust the Lord, to make a way that He is a God who always makes a way for us to do the things that He's asking us to do.
Karen:
So, as I hear you, I imagine moving through three different zones from the comfort zone, kind of the comfort of our life, then all of a sudden we're aware that the Lord calls us to declare His glory and share the gospel with people who don't know Him. And then we step under into the frustration zone. Like I know I should be doing it, and I'm kind of struggling and I want to run back to that comfort zone because that's where I feel best. But if I go back there, I know that I'm going to be disobedient. So I have to push through this frustration zone to get to that zone of joy. Because Mahreen as I hear you share, there is so much joy that comes out of your mouth as you share. But it's like when you are telling other people about Jesus.
Mahreen:
Yes, I absolutely have so much joy because I never know what is going to happen in the course of my day. I mean, before years ago, when I was just Muslim, you know, I would take a break from my studies and go to the grocery store and get my groceries and come back home and study. But now I am working and then I might go to the store and then I might get to pray for a couple of people and something really remarkable and amazing could happen as a result of that. And that just fills me up with excitement because God is so loving and He loves to take His children on adventurous. I mean, the Bible is just filled with person after person who goes on these wonderful adventures with God. And it's something that we get to have with Him. We get to have these adventures with Him where we're just kind of going about our day and God will show us people that He wants us to pray for and encourage and strengthen. And it could be really simple things. A couple of days ago, I met a woman and I felt like the Lord told me to go up to her and say, oh, you're so creative that God loves your creativity. I had never met her before I went up, gave her this word. And she said, no, I am not creative. But the Lord said, yes, like tell her again, like, yes, she is creative. She's drawn to beautiful things. And so I said it again to her. I said, but I really feel like God just really loves this about you. And she again denied it. But her mother was with her and her mother burst out, laughing and said, yes, that is who she is. And all of a sudden, I just felt like the Lord started to download into my heart things for this woman. And I told her, I said, the Lord has caused you to be a woman who was drawn to beautiful creative things. And the enemy keeps trying to tell you that you are unloved, that you are unbeautiful. And actually, you are currently in an abusive relationship right now where a man has been terribly abusing you and this woman just burst out crying. She was just sobbing and sobbing that simple word of just going up and saying, I see you as a creative person, God suddenly in my obedience to say that little word to her suddenly allowed this bridge between her heart and mine where I was able to do some really deep inner healing ministry for her about how she needed to leave this abusive relationship, how she needed to turn back to God, how she needs to give her heart to the Lord. And so oftentimes the horror of doing it, of course, is to bring people to salvation. If you get a certain word of knowledge or wisdom or something, it could be the very key that would soften someone's heart to allow them to open up the door of their heart for Jesus to come in.
Karen:
You're like an Olympic athlete right now, the Olympics are going on. And in this process, you're like a very strong, bold Olympic athlete. And it didn't start like that. It started and it starts still every single day with you spending time being still. And in God's word, studying God's word, seeking Him, listening. And from that, all wisdom and strength come. Any last thoughts Mahreen on this topic and things you've learned about sharing your biblical faith with other people around you in the face that kind of goes counter-cultural right now.
Mahreen:
Yes. I think one thing is sometimes maybe the Lord will give us a word and we don't think that that word is that significant or that meaningful or somebody else can give someone that certain word to encourage them. But actually five years ago today, one of my coworkers, he actually ended up taking his own life and I didn't really know him well, but for about a year, I kept hearing the Lord tell me to tell that man, that he had a real gift of evangelism, that he had a real gift to reach the lost. But because we were in a corporate setting, I never said that to that, man. I never was able to encourage him in that way and didn't really know him well. And he ended up so sadly taking his own life. And I think that is definitely something that also motivates me to share with other people, because sometimes the Lord will give me such a small word and I might think, oh, that word is so inconsequential, it's not worth sharing with someone, but actually a word really could save somebody's life. Also a few years ago, I felt like the Lord told me to go up to this woman and tell her how I used to be an ex-Muslim. And she retorted and said, well, I hate all Muslims. I think all Muslims are so terrible and I could never care about any of them. And so then she paused and said, can you tell me how you even got saved? And when I told her my story, something happened in her heart where she got really softened and she said, I'm actually a Christian. And I suppose I am supposed to pray for Muslims to come to the saving knowledge of Christ. And so those two stories, I feel just help me remember like when we go and we share words, we share encouragement with other people. We could change those false mindsets that they have, where they have hatred or bitterness towards a certain group of people like this dear woman had against Muslims. But also that simple word that we share could really be something that could set somebody free. It stopped them from taking their life, it could help them if they're dealing with depression or just all of those types of things. But all we have to do is just be really good at just listening, spending time with the Lord, and stepping out like just how Peter stepped out of the boat, just have that courage to step out of the boat, trust the Lord that He's gonna be with us and that we're going on this wonderful, wonderful adventure with Him, that He wants to take us on this adventure to cause people to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. You want to share that gift of salvation wherever you go.
Karen:
Thanks for listening to this podcast, a donor-supported series from iHOPE ministries. For more bite-sized things to know and do to share your faith with intention, follow us on Instagram @ihopeministries. Then go to ihopeministries.org and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter. If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you listen. Your review helps the show empower more everyday Christians with the courage, confidence, and know-how to share Jesus in our generation. See you next time.