"Left to Tell"

Words truly have power: They can help us to imagine. They can teach us lessons. They can help us to see the world in a different way. And in the case of Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, they can bring us closer to God.

I found Immaculee Ilibagiza's story inspiring from the beginning. She rose above her status as a woman and a Tutsi to pursue her dreams and gain an education. It was while she attended college that fighting broke out in Rwanda. The Hutu people started killing the Tutsis. Immaculee was separated from her family, hiding in the small bathroom of a pastor for over three months, crammed between seven other women. 

As violence swept the country, leaving a path of immense destruction, Immaculee found peace. She prayed and discovered God. She developed a strong relationship with Him, trusting in His plan for her. She accepted her fate, knowing that God would welcome her home if she were to die. But she survived the genocide for a purpose. Immaculee has written about her experiences of finding hope and forgiveness. She has inspired many, including myself, to come closer to God. I found a renewed sense of faith, feeling of His love with each page I turned.

"I came to learn that God never shows us something we aren't ready to understand. Instead, He lets us see what we need to see, when we need to see it. He'll wait until our eyes and hearts are open to Him, and then when we're ready, He will plant our feet on the path that's best for us...but it's up to us to do the walking."