Most people don’t recognize the name Maria Das Gracas Silva Foster. She is known, however, in Brazil by the nickname Caveirao, the armored vehicle police use to patrol the toughest Brazilian neighborhoods.
She grew up in an extremely poor shantytown with a working mother and an alcoholic father. In 2012 she became the first female CEO of Petrobras, the petroleum giant that controls Brazil’s oil reserves.
Rags to riches, going from collecting papers and old cans to pay for her school books to international recognition. Foster had the promises of a bright future laid at her feet due to her determination and tireless work ethic. She wanted to become great, to have financial success, and to cast off the poverty of her childhood.
God wants us all to live a rags to riches story. Zechariah 8:5 tells us that “the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing…”
Zechariah is telling of the coming of the Kingdom Age, when our troubles will be cast aside, and our enemies will be destroyed. Verse 6 goes on to tell how marvelous our restoration will be. Verse 7 says God will save his people from those in the east and in the west. Verse 8 proclaims that he will set us up before the world, and he will be our God.
In early 2015, after more than 30 years at the company, Foster resigned her position at Petrobras, amid a bribery scandal. Not implicated in the scandal, she is still considered an inspiration to all women in her country. She is the confidant of presidents and policy makers, and remains on the boards of influential companies.
Foster redefines how far a driving passion can take a person.
Our glorious restoration comes when we keep God first. We will step from rags to riches, finding our success not in the things we collect as we walk life’s road, but in the love of Christ. Our successful families, our restored finances, even our position in the community. It will all come to us when we stand on God and follow the precepts in his Word.
Not even bribery scandals will be able to sully our name.
Our glorious restoration comes when we model our lives after Christ, for when we emulate him, we will always be the best we can be. If we make God our driving passion, he will always lead us into bigger and better things.
When we want to be better, we need to endeavor to become like Christ.
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Code: FGO.F.22.15.vp.kjv