Inside Story
Journey to Jesus
A Muslim Finds Truth in God’s Word
By Rebecca K. Grosenbach
“What do you think you’re doing? You’re going to break this girl’s heart,’ ” Judy told her son Mark. He was dating a Muslim named Saidah and even though Mark was only a casual Christian, Judy didn’t believe he would marry her. She thought the relationship was headed for heartache. “It was an exercise in faith,” Judy says, “believing God would work it out.”
That
kind of belief—that God is always at work—characterizes the ministry of
Judy and her husband, Chris. “We believe God is
working and the Gospel is advancing all around us,” Judy says. “We
trust Him to show us what He is doing, and then we join God in that
process and affirm our friends in their discovering.” They came alongside Saidah as she began her journey of discovery. Saidah met their eldest son, Mark, at the local community college. The two eventually started dating, admitting to the awkwardness of a Christian dating a Muslim. But at the same time they were attracted to the obvious good qualities they found in each other.
Growing up, Saidah never entertained the idea of marrying a Christian. She was born in Pakistan into a strong Muslim family. Her family moved to the States when she was 12. “I was raised to believe you don’t change religions; it’s not acceptable to search outside your religion.”
Mark and Saidah dated on and off for a few years and eventually realized their difference in religion was becoming a final barrier in their relationship. So they made an agreement: Saidah would read the Bible and Mark would read the Qur’an. Saidah asked Judy to read with her. Ironically, Mark and Saidah broke up about a month later. “When we broke up, the deal was off,” Saidah says. “But deep inside I was starting to wonder about Christ.”
Some time later Judy and Saidah went out to dinner. Saidah asked a few questions about Christianity. Judy says, “I didn’t want to get into an intellectual discussion with her. Instead, I suggested we read the Bible again.” Saidah agreed.
“As I continued reading the Bible,” Saidah says, “it started making sense—and that scared me. It wasn’t supposed to make sense. I told Judy, ‘Maybe the Qur’an has answers, too.’ So Judy suggested we read the Qur’an also. We read about one third of the Qur’an and two thirds of the New Testament. When we got to Galatians it all added up.
“It just made sense,” Saidah says. “Islam is about good works and the
law of Moses. But as I read the Bible it became clear that I couldn’t
earn approval with God. It wasn’t about what I do for God but about
what God did for me.”“I didn’t have to say much,” Judy recalls. “God worked in her. What I did was work the ground. That’s what Chris and I try to do. We love and serve people, eventually bringing them to a place where they want to discover the Bible with us.”
When God began changing Saidah from the inside out, it pushed Mark to reexamine his faith and to take Bible reading and trusting in God more seriously. After seven months, the two began dating again and were engaged a year later.
Saidah’s parents still struggle with her decision to trust Jesus. They pleaded with her to reconsider. During the first months of her engagement she met twice with their religious teachers and read through the entire Qur’an again.
“I felt bad seeing my parents go through that,” Saidah says. “But reading the Bible kept me going. I went back to Matthew 10 where it says, ‘Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. . . .’ I would say, ‘Yes, I am going to follow Him. He is the Truth.’ ”
As a way of honoring Saidah’s parents, Saidah and Mark had a traditional Pakistani wedding. A week later, in July 2007, they had a traditional Christian ceremony.
Today, Mark and Saidah host a Bible reading group, co-led by Chris and Judy. And they follow the same principles Judy used with Saidah, letting the Bible speak for itself.
“As they learn to trust God’s words, they learn to trust God,” Judy says. “I find that it’s a perfect way to lead someone to Christ. It’s how Paul described his role in 2 Corinthians 4:5, ‘your servant for Jesus’ sake.’ ”
For an insight into the Muslim faith from the perspective of an Arab Christian, check out this month's recommended resource The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross.
