DFM Blog

Last night was a wonderful...and also a HARD night. Each Tuesday night I go and hang out with my girlfriends at My Sister's House (Atlanta Union Mission) and I LOVE it!! They are so much fun and some of the most inspirational people I have ever met. They truly know what it is like to walk through the darkest valleys and trust in God. I am always challenged and ALWAYS blessed to be with my girls.

I was asked last September to come each week and help them with their GED prep. OK...I have NEVER done that before and had NO idea what in the world I was doing. But, that was the need and I had the degree to fill the need. So, I began going and week after week I fell. in. love. with every single one of these girls. They are some of my sweetest friends. They shake me out of my version of reality and make me look into the face of REALITY.

Week after week we grow closer. For the past few weeks the mission has cracked down on the women really participating in the GED program, so our group has grown and new faces are there each week...and I'm loving it:) To make it even better...my friend Amanda whom I have been meeting with for YEARS also comes to help and tutor along with another friend of ours. We have grown really close to every single one of these ladies.

I like helping with GED...but I LOVE when I can lavish on these women! I can't do it all the time since I am there, not to lead a mini retreat every week, but to help them get their GED and gain some job skills. So, when a holiday comes around I can't WAIT to love on those ladies and just lavish some fun gifts, girlie items, yummy treats, and a few words of encouragement from God's Word. Last night...was that night!

The amazing friends at the GBC donated some really groovy bags for the women to carry all their GED items in each week. And DFM was able to buy each lady a red long stemmed rose. Don't you know that EVERY woman should get roses on Valentine's day? Well, in my mind they sure do:) Then, I borrowed/copied/stole a theme from my creative friend Rhonda. We talked about how popular the show "The Bachelor" has been and how there is one guy who "chooses" a lady by giving her a rose. So, she feels really special since she has gotten the red rose. She wants so desperately to be "chosen."

Unfortunately, being chosen on "The Bachelor" is a bit warped to say the least. But, there is a man, named Jesus Christ, who has chosen me...and those precious ladies at the mission. As I handed each of them a beautiful rose of crimson, we were ALL reminded how no matter what is going on in our lives or where we find ourselves we are chosen by the man who can NEVER let us down. The man who bore a cross and shed crimson blood to be in a personal relationship with us. What a MIGHTY good man!

It was a very special time for all of us as we reflected on the great love shown to each of us on the Cross. How Crimson stains set us free! How we are chosen by God for all eternity! Amazing!

Then, a sweet and very close friend of mine stuck her little face into the room. I tried to usher her in to join us and she said she couldn't come tonight. I took a rose and a groovy bad along with a few cookies out to her...this is one of my closest friends in my class. She has been in the class for most of the time I have been there (7 months).

As she and I talked (over tears) she shared that she was having to leave the mission (medical issues) and that ALL 6 of her children were going that VERY night into foster care. I'm crying as I write this. I was speechless. We were broken. It just got really personal.

These children are ones I see every week as they run into my room to see what "treats" we have, peering into my bag of chocolates I bring for the women each week ('cause every women needs chocolate to study with!!), and bring life into the study room. They are gone.

We hugged and prayed and KNEW there was VICTORY in Jesus Christ. She encouraged ME with her faith and strength and determination. I was amazed.

As you know we went through the foster care training (haven't gotten any calls yet) and at the time it was just a little overwhelming to me. Lots of rules, lots of issues, lots of information and red tape. It wasn't really personal.

But, last night it got personal. It had a face and a name and months of history. It had laughter and mischief and noise and now silence. It's really personal now. That's the gift of God.

In Isaiah 58, God's people were coming to Him every single day. They were checking the God thing off on their list, going to church, bringing Him their problems, asking Him for answers...but it wasn't personal. God's response to this was to give a large (and to many of us overwhelming)list of things that SHOULD be personal if we love Him.

About a year ago, those words in Isaiah 58 got really personal. The homeless wandered has a name, little children, a desire to get her GED, and real issues, hopes, and dreams. The orphan crises went from an overwhelming thought of 147 million orphans in the world...to opening our home to one (or two) in God's perfect timing.

Satan sells us a bill of goods that says because you can't do it ALL you shouldn't do anything. We stand immobilized thinking about the crisis in Haiti, billions of people lost and dying, the AIDs crisis, 147 million orphans, the homeless, foster care, widows...our family, marriage, in-laws...

That we stand like a deer in the headlight not knowing what to do so we just stand there. But, the gift of God is that when you take a small step(and all my steps are so small they seem like they would get nowhere) towards obedience and have FAITH like a tiny little mustard seed He makes it personal...not a cause. Because taking on a cause is all about us and getting personal is all about a relationship. That's the difference in a ME task and a God vision.

Thank you God for making it personal. Thank you for blessing the little steps with BIG heart change in my life. Thank you for once again tearing my eyes and heart off self and letting me see people...not causes. Thank you for breaking my heart and letting me cry...with you. Forgive me for swimming in self. Thank for a little glimpse into the EXPANSE of your heart for this world. Help me not to stand immobilized in the enormity of this fallen world, but to hold your hand and take one step closer to your heart today. Thank you for your Word that is ALIVE!!!!!

(The ladies' faces are pixelated for privacy and safety...but trust me...they are BEAUTIFUL!)