Three Days of Darkness

Lydia had long been accustomed to being both mother and father to her two boys. Her husband, a Vietnamese pastor and church leader, had already spent four years in prison for his ministry work. Life was difficult, but she never stopped pursuing the Lord or teaching her sons about Jesus.

Some days Lydia found short-term work and managed to put food on the table. Other days she had nothing. Yet through every season, the Lord remained faithful. When there was no work, no money, and no food, He always provided. Meals appeared on her doorstep at just the right moment. Odd jobs came her way unexpectedly. And every time a need arose, Vietnamese believers surrounded her with practical help and prayer.

Despite the hardship, Lydia never resented her husband’s passion for God’s Kingdom or his desire to print copies of the Bible. When he was finally released, they discussed continuing the work — fully aware that if he were caught printing Bibles again, he would be sent back to prison. Even so, Lydia desired only God’s will for her family and trusted that whatever happened, the Lord would continue to care for her and her children.

Not long after his release, her husband was arrested again — this time placed in a small, dark cell where he remained for an entire year. Lydia wrote him a letter expressing her love and her confidence in God’s sovereignty. ​“Even if you die there as a martyr for Jesus, we will be proud of you,” she wrote.

But her husband never received her words. The jailer intercepted the letter, accused Lydia of encouraging suicide, and ordered that she be brought in for questioning. She was dragged before communist authorities, and though she denied their accusation and tried to explain her intentions, they refused to listen. She was thrown into a dark cell near her husband’s.

During her imprisonment, Lydia sang every hymn she knew. She recited Scripture to pass the long hours. She prayed and worshipped without fear, reminding herself that she was more precious to God than the sparrows. She entrusted her two young sons — now alone — to the Lord’s care, believing He remained in control of every detail.

On the third day of her incarceration, Lydia was summoned again. With no evidence and no grounds to hold her, the jailer reluctantly signed her release. ​“The Lord showed me compassion by giving back my freedom,” Lydia later said. ​“I know it was the will of my Father to test my faith.”

Lydia and her family have never stopped pursuing the Lord. They continue their work to further the Kingdom of God, strengthened by the promise of Romans 8:18:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory
that is to be revealed to us.”