Framing Faith Under Fire

Announcer 0:01

It's time now to get the Hell Out of Your Life, a weekly broadcast with real people, sharing real struggles, and offering real hope. Today's show will encourage, inspire, and empower you to face life's challenges with a bold confidence and renewed hope. Now let's join our host, Ron Myers, the promoter.

Meet Yasmin Mazawi

Ron Meyers 0:23

Hello, my friends. It is so good to be with you today. My name is Ron Myers, and I'm the host. The show is called Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Real stories, real struggles, and real hope. Today we're talking about something that every single one of us faces at some point in life. Faith under fire. Now, when we hear that phrase, we might think of soldiers, war zones, or first responders running toward danger. But the truth is, millions of people are living with faith under fire every single day. Fear about their health. Fear about their finances, fear about their future, fear about relationships falling apart, and fear that their life may never become what they hoped it would be. Fear has a voice, and fear tells convincing stories. Years ago, someone gave me a simple acronym for the word fear: false evidence appearing real. Fear creates pictures in our mind that feel real, even when they are not. Fear says stay safe, stay small, don't take that risk, don't step out. But faith says something completely different. Faith says trust God. Faith says step forward even when the path is not clear. Faith says, keep your eyes on Jesus even when the waves begin to rise. Remember the story when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water? Peter stepped out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus. But when Peter shifted his eyes from Jesus to the wind and the waves, well, he began to sink. And that is what fear does. Fear pulls our eyes off Jesus and onto the storm. But here's the truth I want you to remember today. You cannot walk on water if you never get out of the boat. So many people today are living in boats of fear, boats of doubt, boats of worry, and boats of what if. They are surviving, but they are not living the life God designed for them. That is why I love sharing stories, stories of faith like the one you're about to hear. Today you are going to meet a young woman whose faith was tested in a way most of us can barely imagine. Her name? Yasmin Mazawi, a 27-year-old Christian paramedic from Israel who lives in Nazareth, and she serves with Majen David Adam, Emergency Medical Service. On the morning of October 7, 2023, she was supposed to be boarding a plane to submit her master's thesis. Instead, rockets filled the sky, sirens began sounding, and she made a decision that placed her directly in the middle of danger. She went to work saving lives. What carried her through that day was not bravado, it was Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. That quiet reminder that even in the valley, God is still walking beside us. And her story reminds us of something we all need to hear today. Fear may be loud, but faith is stronger. Let's take a listen. Well, listeners, I'm at the National Religious Broadcasting Convention, and I met this incredible young lady. I want to say this right, Yasmin Mazawi?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 4:03

Yeah.

Ron Meyers 4:04

All right, very good. Where do you live?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 4:06

Sure. So I live in Israel. I was born in Nazareth. I live in Nazareth.

Ron Meyers 4:10

I think of Nazareth, and I think of Jesus. And you're a Christian?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 4:14

Yes, I am.

Ron Meyers 4:15

Oh, praise God.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 4:16

I'm a Christian. I was born to a Christian family.

Ron Meyers 4:18

And you I saw you the other day. And you had your ambulance uniform on.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 4:23

Yes.

October 7: Choosing To Serve

Ron Meyers 4:24

And you drive an ambulance in Israel. Tell the listeners your job.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 4:29

Sure. So I started volunteering at Magenda Vidodom. Magenda Videdom is the national medical and emergency and blood services organization in Israel. So I started volunteering as a young volunteer since the age of 15. And when I turned 18, I took the decision to do a national service as a paramedic. So I did a one year of professional intensive training and then two years of national service as a paramedic. And since then I've been volunteering as a paramedic at MDA. So all I do is volunteering.

Ron Meyers 5:02

And you were on duty on October 7th. Take us into how God used you to help other people.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 5:11

Wow, it was just a chaos, I would say. Like I think everyone was feeling under uncertainty. Nobody knows, no knew what's happening and what's gonna happen. I just woke up just like everyone, 6 30 a.m. in the morning of October 7th, and we saw all the alarms on our notifications and our phones, and we understood that something here is unusual that we didn't know or we didn't see before in the past. And I was supposed to fly on the same day to submit my thesis for the masters. And I took the decision not to fly and go to the station and support MDA in my region, the closest station to support my friends, my colleagues, the families. And I think the verse that helped me and gave me the source of light all the time throughout this challenging time is Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. This gave me the source of light that I want to be this light of people who were, you know, people who lost their family members and others who were kidnapped. Many many of them we knew. They were friends of ours, friends of our families and colleagues. You know, it's not spe you know, it's it's not nothing that we it's very close, let's say. It's very close to us. But that was really, really challenging times.

Ron Meyers 6:31

How old are you? You're young.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 6:32

I'm tw almost 27.

Ron Meyers 6:34

You're 27. So to see this horrific thing going on in front of your eyes, and then you're taking the ambulance out to get people, what's going through your mind?

Fear, Sirens, And Team Unity

Yasmeen Mazzawi 6:43

To be honest, it's it's scary, you know? It's all the tension, uncertainty. Even going to emergency cases, and the sirens start in the outside, you have to stop the ambulance, go out, lay on the ground, say wait about 10 minutes or sometimes even more until the uh front command say otherwise, and then continue to to the emergency, you know, continue our way. It's very challenging, it's very scary, for sure. We're all human, right? But I could feel that what gave me this energy is the unity that I could see in our teams. Like we all in in Magenda Vidalam, we work and volunteer, people from so many different backgrounds, and I always like to use this analogy that each one is a hero, and what connects between us is this necklace made out of values, of loving the other, giving the other, of uh one mission of saving lives. And all of us, as colleagues, Arabs, Jews, Muslims, Bitch, Druze, uh, Christians, worked all together for this mission of saving lives during these challenging times. And also, you know, in the daily life as well, that's what we do is saving lives. And this gave each one of us the power to continue and to serve and to, you know, to stay and stand still.

Ron Meyers 8:08

So during the days, the weeks, the months after all this, are you sitting on edge wondering when a siren went off, what's gonna happen? Are we safe? Is it living in a lot of fear after the thing of it's gonna happen again, or what's it like?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 8:25

Wow, this is a great question. I think we have to do this separate, you know, as medics and as first aid providers. And in especially in our country, we see lots of emergencies, and we've been going through a very hard and challenging years lately. I think we have to do this separate sometimes, like the what we see and what we go through in our shifts, and then after when we go back home, we have to do that, not just for us, also for our families, because as I say, I think we have to be a source of light for other people in need, to families, for families who lost their family members, to friends of ours, to our colleagues, and I pray every day to our Heavenly Father to give me the power and be this source of light and power and to give this energy to my colleagues and our colleagues at MDA who maybe face other challenges than the fear of sirens, you know.

Ron Meyers 9:21

There are people that are listening right now here in the United States that are going through trials and tribulations and fear, and their families are in trouble, and you have a microphone now. Can you give them some hope or some encouragement?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 9:36

I would say that hope is there, and there is a light at the end of the road. And as a believer, I I am sure that our Heavenly Father has a great big plan for each and every one of us. Just believe that whatever challenge you are going through will definitely end.

Ron Meyers 9:56

So you were gonna go fly away, but you didn't for your thesis. So you're you're in college or you're finishing college?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 10:03

I finished my master's, I already submitted my thesis.

Ron Meyers 10:07

So is there plans for Yasmin and maybe to leave the medical field, or what's the future look like for you?

Holding Hope For Families

Yasmeen Mazzawi 10:13

My master's degree and my uh educational uh part I did not in the medical field. I'm working in the generative uh artificial intelligence field, which is way different from the medical. Oh no, not way different, but like in a different field, I would say. And I'm pursuing my PhD now. Yeah, and the medical field will always be there, and I will always continue volunteering as a paramedic.

Ron Meyers 10:39

Living in Jerusalem and being Jewish, you have an audience right now that's Americans. Tell us a little bit more about life in Jerusalem.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 10:49

I love that question. I live in I live in the northern part, not from Jerusalem, but I would say what is is the you know similar to all cities uh and to all places in Israel and the people in Israel is that we all say great life. So people do love one another. Definitely wherever there are differences, there is tension everywhere, not only in Israel, all around the world. But Israel is amazing, people of Israel are amazing, and you can find the love and the the compassion to one another. Yeah, I think this is something that the world don't see in the media, maybe.

Ron Meyers 11:29

You ever just think about your living where Jesus, the Messiah, walks? You are there. What that has to be. I've never been there yet. I I want to be. Yes, it's my bucket list.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 11:43

It's amazing. I love that. And I think it's like a privilege to to to be born there and to live there and to walk in the streets where Jesus walks, and it's amazing. Yeah.

Ron Meyers 11:54

So you have a booth here, you're part of the is what can we do as citizens of the United States to help you? We pray for you all the time. We love our friends in Israel. What can we do for you, your organization, or for Israel?

Future Plans And Lifelong Service

Yasmeen Mazzawi 12:09

Thank you so much, first of all, for the support. And yeah, we, you know, as I said in the beginning, MGA is based on volunteers. We are like 90% volunteers and only 10% of employees. So we're talking about 36,000 approximately of volunteers and 3,500 employees. So I think the and and the beauty of this is that each one comes from a different background, supporting all Israeli uh citizens and all Israeli communities around the country. And if the audience would like to hear more about the the work that we do at MDA, can visit our website, saving livesinisrael.org.

Ron Meyers 12:53

Saving lives inisrael.org. Yes. You know, I heard something this morning. I was at the Prayer for Israel breakfast, beautiful, you spoke, and I was not aware about losing so many ambulances. So tell us that story and how Franklin Graham came to the rescue.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 13:15

Wow, this is a great story because you know, during the war, not only Jews were targeted, you know, all Israeli citizens were targeted. Many, many people from non-Jewish religion or community were were kidnapped and others uh died, you know. So also ambulances were targeted. Like we're talking about people who were coming to save people who were hit. And we were targeted, ambulances and teams, and we lost so many ambulances and equipment.

Ron Meyers 13:49

So you're going out to help people, and yet you're in an ambulance that is also a target. They want to blow you up.

Life In Israel Beyond Headlines

Yasmeen Mazzawi 13:57

And then Franklin Graham within days to him and to to his support and to their support that within days they were able to provide the MDA with the vehicles that you know we lost vehicles, and he and and and he said, like he he raised the phone to the CEO and said, Let us know how can we help you. And they did help us, they supported us a lot during the war, which we are so grateful for.

Ron Meyers 14:28

You know, the United States, we love Israel, we're allies with Israel. And when you're in Israel, I know you probably see some of the TV over here when these college students are protesting on the college campuses. What goes through your mind when you see that on the news?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 14:46

To be honest, that's very sad. Because, first of all, MDI is not a political organization. Not at all. We are built on values. But it's so sad because I I I see that these people do not give the opportunity for the people who are maybe different than them to talk. I I usually use an analogy that says, like, two communities maybe have stereotypes about one another, don't know about one another, but they don't communicate. And we have to break this window made out of glass and make these people communicate. And that's so sad that we see that these people do not communicate, do not accept the other who are maybe different or have different beliefs, and that's so sad, you know.

Ron Meyers 15:29

Yeah, we all are created in the image of God. Yes, and there's people that hate other people, but they've never even met them.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 15:37

Exactly. That's what I was trying to say. And they've never talked to them. Exactly, and that's so sad. Because we're all different, even within the same religion and the same country and the same community. We're all different, but we have to accept one another. To I'm not saying to, you know, just to accept, to be willing to communicate, to understand, maybe.

Ambulances Targeted And Aid

Ron Meyers 15:57

Yes. Agree at disagreeing. It's okay if you don't, but let's just talk. Let's let's just sit down and talk. I mean, we do we definitely do need more of that. Well, I want to thank you, Yasmin, for your time. Is there anything that you would like to say to the listeners out there?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 16:14

Well, I'd like to thank everyone for listening and and the support and the love. And we could feel the support and love.

Ron Meyers 16:22

Could you yeah? I've heard that. I've heard that.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 16:24

Thank you.

Ron Meyers 16:25

Well, thank you again. God bless you. Thank you.

Yasmeen Mazzawi 16:27

God bless you.

Ron Meyers 16:28

Well, listen, I know you're at your booth. Before we go, would you pray for my listeners?

Yasmeen Mazzawi 16:34

Of course. My privilege, of course. Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for your wisdom. We pray that you be with us during these challenging moments. And we are sure that it's not only us facing challenges, many of our listeners and audience are facing challenges. We ask you, our Heavenly Father, to give them the source of light and show them the source of light because we are sure that you have a great, great plan for each and every one of us. We thank thee for your love and unconditional love and light that you give to us. And we pray for your wisdom, for your love, and for peace. And I say this in the name of our of thy son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Protest Culture And Communication

Ron Meyers 17:20

Listening to Yasmin, what struck me the most was not just the danger she faced, it was the peace she carried. In a moment when rockets were falling, sirens were sounding, and chaos was unfolding, she kept showing up to save and to serve. One call after another, one patient after another. And what held her steady was not adrenaline, it was faith. Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. Those words have carried believers through centuries of storms. And here is something else that stood out in Yasmin's story. Unity. In the ambulance, you will find Arabs, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze working side by side, diverse backgrounds, different beliefs, but one mission save lives, serve people, bring hope. That is a picture of humanity at its best. And Yasmin reminded us that courage is not always loud. Sometimes courage looks like simply showing up. Sometimes courage looks like the kindness when anger would be easier. Sometimes courage looks like faith when fear is trying to take over your thinking. And her story reminds us that even when the world feels uncertain, God is still present. When I returned, some encouragement and action steps for the upcoming week.

Announcer 18:54

You're listening to Get the Hell Out of Your Life with your host, Ron Myers. Real stories, real struggles, and real hope. What's your story? We're looking for stories of hope and overcoming life's struggles with God's grace. Your story validates God's law, mercy, restoration, and forgiveness. We want to help you share your story with the world. Visit our website, thepromoter.org, and click on the share your story link. Submit your story. Your testimony of God's amazing grace will change a person's destiny for eternity.

Speaker 2 19:34

Here's a refreshing word from Ephesians 5, 1 and 2. Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us.

Speaker 4 19:50

Hi, I'm Dr. Andrew Farley, host of the Grace Message. Got a Bible question, struggling with a personal issue, wondering about a tricky verse? At BibleQuestions.com, you'll get clear, grace-based answers in 10 seconds or less. No fluff, no confusion, just practical biblical truth. Ask anything, anytime, and experience the power of God's love. Visit BibleQuestions.com. That's BibleQuestions.com. Your go-to for biblical clarity.

Prayer And A Quiet Courage

Announcer 20:27

How do you get the hell out of your life? Get on your knees and cry out to the Lord. He hears you right where you are. How to get the hell out of your life? Well, yeah, replace it with Jesus. We gotta be born again, born of the Spirit, and that's by trusting Jesus Christ, turning from our sins, and trusting Jesus. How do you get the hell out of your life? Oh gosh.

Three Weekly Action Steps

Ron Meyers 20:45

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. My friends, before we go today, let me leave you with this thought. Many of you listening right now are living with your own version of faith under fire. Maybe your storm is not rockets or sirens. Maybe it's uncertainty, stress, loneliness, financial pressure, a difficult decision. And fear is whispering in your ear. Fear is telling you the worst is coming. Fear telling you you are not strong enough. Fear telling you to stay in the boat. But my friend, remember what fear really is. False evidence appearing real. Fear paints pictures that God never painted. Fear predicts outcomes God never promised. And fear keeps people from stepping into the life they were created to live. But faith, faith lifts your eyes to Jesus. Faith reminds you who is walking on the water with you. Faith reminds you who is in control of the storm. And remember this. You cannot walk on water if you never get out of the boat. So here are three simple action steps for this coming week. Number one, start your day anchored in truth. Before the noise of the world begins, read Psalm 23 for the next week. Let those words remind you that God is guiding your steps, even when you can't see the entire path. Number two, replace fear with faith. When fear enters your mind this week, pause and ask, is this the truth or is this false evidence appearing real? Then replace that thought with prayer and meditate and talk to Jesus. Number three, take one step out of the boat. Do something this week you have been avoiding because of fear. Make that phone call, start the idea, have the conversation, take the step because your purpose is not waiting inside the boat, it is waiting in the step of faith. My friends, fear does not get the final word. Faith does. Well, join me next week for another grace-filled episode of Get the Hell Out of Your Life, available wherever you listen to podcast. And now I want to close the show with the reading of Psalm 23.

Psalm 23 Closing And Thanks

Speaker 7 23:35

A Psalm of David. Psalm 23. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Announcer 24:41

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