The life and trials of a growing Christian-Day Nine

When I was on my way to work this morning I heard a preacher (K.P. Yohannon) talking about a letter he had received from a missionary in India. The missionary said he saw a woman down at the Gan jeer river among thousands who were washing themselves in this dirty, filthy water. They were doing this as an offering to one of the many "gods" in the Hindu religion. This lady was different, she was standing alone screaming, crying, and beating her self in the chest. The missionary approached her and told her about Jesus and that no matter what her sins, He could and would forgive her. She said that she had never heard of this Jesus and that she wished he (the missionary) would have shown up a half hour prior. She began to weep and wail again and told him that her husband had been hurt and couldn't work and that she was at that horrible river to sacrifice the only thing she had to the god of the river. That sacrifice was her six month old daughter, drown in the river.
When I heard that, it was like I was pierced in my heart. I could feel my eyes watering up and that huge lump rising up into my throat, and by that time I was at work so I wiped my eyes and went in. I couldn't and can't get that image out of my mind. The thought that that woman took her baby, the very child that suckled on her own breasts and drown her in that river is sickening. The thought that she did it to appease a god that doesn't even exist makes it that much worse. I don't know how that woman's life has been since this happened, but I do know that if she received Jesus and was baptized for the gift of the Holy Spirit even she could be forgiven. The gift of salvation has been freely given to everybody who will accept it. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
The world! Not good people, or people who have been raised in the church, but everybody. So I ask... What's your excuse?