If you’ve ever doubted the power of God’s Word, consider this – this bold, young girl didn’t preach to me or explain the Gospel in some carefully crafted manner, she simply read the living, breathing Word of God out loud and The Holy Spirit did the rest.
Several years ago I found myself stuck in a vicious cycle of despair and regret, longing for a fresh start – only in my twenties, but feeling as though my life was completely wasted.
Today, I stand as living proof of God's transformative redemption. He has not only reshaped my life but also unveiled a new direction and purpose beyond my imagination. When we release our past pains and life challenges, we let God in to complete His work in us. He is the ultimate healer, restorer, and redeemer who takes our broken pieces and makes a masterpiece of beauty.
Hope Stolen, Then Restored
Raised in Iran within a culturally traditional Muslim household, I experienced an arranged marriage at the young age of 18 to a man who was significantly older than me.
As arranged marriages are a prevalent custom in Iranian culture, I approached my own marriage without giving it a second thought, considering it a natural part of our traditions.
Before long, the man I married turned increasingly abusive, subjecting me to verbal, emotional, and at times physical abuse. Each day felt like a harrowing ordeal, leaving me in a constant state of trauma.
Silenced and stripped of hope, I reached a breaking point, overwhelmed with distress, I looked up to heaven and talked to God in my own Muslim faith, "God, I know you are real. Please reveal yourself to me. I plead with you to give me a second chance, a new fresh start.”
Soon after this prayer, my parents, who had moved to the U.S., asked me to come visit them and some family friends who were going to be in town. When I entered their house, I immediately felt a sense of peace and love that I had never experienced before. Their friends were Christians, and it was evident they had come prepared to share the Gospel with my family.
We watched the JESUS Film, and at one point, one of the women turned and said, “Lily, do you know that when you come to faith and give your heart to Jesus, everything from your past is removed and all things become new?”
How did she know this was exactly what I needed to hear? How did she know that I had asked God for a do-over?
When the movie was over, the woman’s daughter walked me to the door and said, “Lily, we know the struggles that you’ve been going through, and I want you to know there’s hope.”
She opened a Farsi Bible and read John 1:1 to me, which says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” She then read John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
If you’ve ever doubted the power of God’s Word, consider this – this bold, young girl didn’t preach to me or explain the Gospel in some carefully crafted manner, she simply read the living, breathing Word of God out loud and The Holy Spirit did the rest.
The Lord had prepared my heart for this moment. Tears began to roll down my face, and in my heart, I knew beyond any doubt – Jesus is more than just a prophet as I was taught growing up. He’s my Lord and Savior!
Suddenly it was so clear to me that if anyone could pull me out of the dungeon I was living in, it was going to be Jesus.
From Pain to Purpose
I began attending an American Bible-based church to learn about my new faith. Then soon after, I was introduced to Iran Alive Ministries, a ministry that shares the Gospel with Farsi-speaking Iranians through satellite broadcasts. Hearing the Word of God in my native heart language was a game-changer as I continued to seek healing, freedom, and purpose.
For many years, I remained married to the same abusive man, believing that he was my cross to carry in this life. Now a mother to a beautiful little girl, the Lord unveiled the truth to me that living in trauma and unrest was not my cross nor was it my daughter’s to bear. Through God’s peace and provision, the painful marriage finally ended.
As I continued to grow in my faith, I received the sanctification and restoration that only our Lord can provide, and over time a new purpose for my life emerged. I began to volunteer at Iran Alive, co-hosting a youth program while I was growing in my career in the financial industry.
The Lord allowed me to scale through a few Fortune 500 companies and reach a Vice President position before He called me to the ministry. I wrestled with the Lord to enter the ministry world having been successful in my career in the financial world. So, I prayed and fasted, and asked the Lord to speak to me when the founder of Iran Alive Ministry asked me to join serving the Lord in the ministry with his team.
Amidst my search for divine guidance and purpose, the Lord unveiled a striking vision to me—a vision of how the pain and hurts from my past could be transformed into a beacon of light for women facing similar struggles. Recognizing that I could be an instrument of hope and redemption for fellow Iranians in despair, I left my corporate job to embark on a new journey in the ministry realm.
Today, my greatest desire is to empower Iranian women to recognize their God-given value and purpose. They have been oppressed in their culture for far too long. They’re not valued, nor do they have a voice. It’s my honor to share my story of God’s redemptive power to help others discover the hope and freedom that can only be found in Christ.
While God never promised a life free of hardship, He did promise that He would walk alongside us through all the ups and downs of life.
He promises to be our Comforter and to bind up our wounds. He takes our ashes and gives us beauty; He replaces our sorrow with joy, and He offers us purpose in light of pain only if we let Him.
Our pain can serve as a stepping stone toward the path the Lord has destined for us, leading us to a new direction—a divine direction guided by God.
God never wastes our pain. For those who trust in Him, He offers a wonderful plan, and purpose – not despite our past, but because of it.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Jevtic
Lily Meschi is the Director of Partners Relations for Iran Alive Ministries in McKinney, Texas. She was born and raised in a Muslim family in Tehran, Iran before moving to Germany when she was 16. She later moved to the United States when she was 18 and found Christ. Her passion is to live life with purpose and to help others, especially women, to realize their identity in Christ and further the gospel.
