“Everybody said I was a fool when I resigned,” said Sonia Pandya*, former IT worker in South Asia. Her colleagues didn’t understand her decision. But after 16 years in the workforce, Sonia and her husband decided it was good for her to stay at home.
Sonia was at the top of her field as an associate consultant. In fact, only three percent of women made it to this corporate level. But the 12-hour workdays were taking their toll. She felt her family was getting the “leftovers” when she was working. So, after much prayer, she made the decision to leave the corporate world.
Once at home full-time, Sonia didn’t know what to do to fill her days.
About the same time, Sonia met with Rita, a Campus Crusade for Christ staff woman. Rita had been praying for Sonia—that God would make her available to Him.
“God answered prayers,” said Sonia, “because I was also praying, ‘Lord, here I am. I don’t know what to do’.”
Sonia soon recognized there were other women in her situation: ex-professionals now at home with plenty of free time. She began meeting with one friend to encourage each other and study God’s Word. Rita gave her ideas of how to make their time together more structured.
“God is just bringing people,” says Sonia. “It’s marvelous. We started as two people. Now we’re six.”
Before summer vacation, she taught these women how to share about their faith in Christ with others.
Here are some of her practical tips for starting spiritual conversations:
Not everyone in Sonia’s Bible study is a follower of Christ. Several come from unbelieving backgrounds. She also began meeting with a woman of another faith who had come to church and was curious. Sonia had some fear before she met with this woman.
“I didn’t sleep an entire night. I didn’t know if I could share the gospel in Hindi. Lord, I can’t send her away,” she said.
The next day, she asked the staff member Rita if Campus Crusade had any materials in that woman’s language; she said yes. So over the next month, Sonia introduced her new friend to Jesus.
“God is teaching me to share my life with others,” says Sonia.
Sonia is making a spiritual impact in her community. It began with her availability to God. She once asked, “Lord, what do I do with my time?” Her advice today, to those asking the same question, is
“Pray about it, and make yourself available to God. He will equip us. He will use our experience. He will use our education. God does it. We just allow him to.”
Are you willing to be available to God and share your life with one person?
*Name changed for security reasons
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