Left to Tell

Sometimes I read for pleasure. Sometimes I read to gain new knowledge. Sometimes I read because I have heard a good recommendation. Some books I go through quickly and than others take me quite a while. Some books I start and never seem to finish.  

A couple months ago I was at a used bookstore with a dear friend and was browsing the books in the Africa section (shocking, I know). I came across Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza, a book about the Rwandan genocide/holocaust I had heard about a few years early and remember wanting to read. I picked it up along with a few other books and went about my day. A month or so later it was time to start a new book so I picked up Left to Tell. I cannot tell you why I chose that one over any of the other 5 or 6 books sitting in my stack to be read (and no, it was not the one sitting on top). I now know that it was not my choice but His. 

If you are unfamiliar with what happened in Rwanda in 1994, allow me to give you a brief synopsis. There are two main tribes in Rwanda, Tutsi and Hutu. In 1994 the Hutus wanted to rid the country of Tutsis and started a tribal warfare that was incredibly bloody. In a matter of approximately 100 days over 500,000 people, or 20% of the population, were killed. This happened over a struggle for power and unfortunately, the large majority of people that were killed, were innocent. Neighbors were killing life long friends just because they were a different ethnicity. People turned instantly against loved ones; it is something so hard to understand.

Left to Tell gives us a knowledge of what happened during those tragic 100 days but it is more than that. It is a story; it is a story of one brave woman and her life before, during, and after the genocide/holocaust. Once I got into the first few chapters I found it hard to put the book down. Immaculee allows us not only into her life but into her heart. She survived one of the worst things a person could experience by living in a bathroom for 3 months. This bathroom was no larger than 3ft. by 4ft. and she lived in it with 7 other women. Could you even imagine?

Immaculee provides a look into what she thought about, where her heart was, and where her faith was. For me, this story was less about the genocide/holocaust and more about undying faith, incredible reliance on God, and proof of the power of prayer. I feel I must let you know that when I began reading this book I was really debating my own prayer life.  

I felt stuck. I felt as though my prayer life was not developing. I felt as if I was missing something. Immaculee wasn't. Even in the midst of insane tragedy she put full faith in our Lord and turned to Him for everything. And the thing is... He was there, He never left her! I know for some people that may be hard to believe because there was so much evil around her and seemed as though the Lord abandoned Rwanda, but that is simply untrue. There are numerous times where we see how the Lord stood by her side, protected her, and gave her strength. This book did more for my prayer life and my faith then any religious, devotional, or study book ever has.  

I have to recommend Left to Tell. I have to encourage you to read it. I have to urge you to take a look at someone who has been through hell and back and never doubted her faith. We have all been through hard times and we all have hard times ahead of us, but what is most important, especially in those times, is where we place our faith, who we turn to, and where we draw strength.