The Captive Maidservant: Heroine of Forgiveness

 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." 2 Kings 5:2-3 

 

Two verses…sharp cliffs of contrast in a child’s life:

One side her worst nightmare, caused by national strife;

The other a result of her choice to forgive,

And make the best of where she now lived.

To be torn from her parents she’d never have chosen,

Yet faith’s warmth in her soul could not be frozen.

Jehovah was with her in a new land and language,

And her choices would give to her captor Truth’s knowledge.

  

Remarkably, she came to genuinely care

About Naaman and his wife and how they would fare,

And one day in heaven, we’ll meet all three there.*

Then from Scripture’s portrait of this captive girl rare,

Let us also have courage to do as she dared.

When life takes us down paths of which we’re most scared,

Seek His grace to forgive and serve with compassion;

So the maiden’s true Master His likeness will fashion.

 

 * In 2 Kings 5:15-19, we see Naaman’s faith.  Per Acts 16:31 (“and thy house”) and numerous Biblical examples, when the father of a family makes a life-changing faith decision, his family follows the vast majority of times.