Her Name was Vada

Her name was Vada. It means “famous ruler”. I looked it up. But it doesn’t accurately describe her.

Vada was a godly woman in my Bible study and I was a fairly new Christian. She was one of the first Christian women I met who exuded strength and humility with equal fervor.

I didn’t know her well. There are many who knew her journey and her character up close and personal. My knowledge of her was as an observer. But I did know her. She called me by name. We chatted in the hallway on a few occasions.

Vada was a persevering soul. God had given her more than her fair share of trouble in this world. Her childhood was tumultuous, yet she overcame it with grace. Her marriage endured a season of ill health. So she cared for her husband and children while working full time as a teacher. And she pressed on in her faith.

I didn’t have the honor of watching her walk through those tough days. Instead, I saw the person she became from walking through those tough times. Vada clung to her God and her faith community during the darkest of days. I imagine there were times she thought she wouldn’t make it. But she pressed into God and pressed on in faith.

It was her persevering spirit that I admired, but it was her unshakable confidence in God that captured my heart. She was such a quiet person until she stood to teach the Word. It was then you saw the strength in her legs and conviction in her heart. She knew God! And God knew her!

You may be walking through the tough days now. And God is shaping you to become the person He wants you to be in the midst of those tough times. You may be tempted to run from God and these trials. Instead, let this become what establishes unshakable confidence in God.

Today, you are being transformed. Tomorrow, you will be able to stand in humility. Take heart! Jesus has overcome the world, even your world.