Thursday, July 29, 2010

A STORY OF HOPE

There is a lady I went to Jr. High and High School with named Robyn Terrill. I didn’t know Robyn well in school, but began to get to know her a couple of years ago on Facebook. Most of the posts I’d see from her always seemed very negative and she seemed so miserable. Whenever I tried to say something encouraging to her, I’d often get a sarcastic response back from her. It was as if she could not believe anyone would just be kind for the sake of being kind.

As the months went by, I began to see a slow softening of Robyn’s heart. We began to message some back and forth and she expressed to me that she was living with family member near the metroplex and had recently become a Christian. As we spoke more, Robyn shared that she had lived in Los Angeles for a number of years and had led a very rough and sinful life. Then a few years ago, she got pregnant and she realized she had to make some changes. What we know now is that God was working His plan out through her life.

As the final months of 2009 wound down, Robyn was fearing she would not be able to stay where she was much longer and she so hated to leave the church she was at and have to up root her and her daughter to San Antonio to go live with her mother, who was also having a lot of struggles. But she did have to go to San Antonio, and myself and others were trying to figure out how to help this woman and her child find a better life. We prayed and we prayed and we prayed! And Robyn waited patiently on the Lord. Oh, not without some real frustration, anger, fear, and anxiety like we all have when we are living on the edge. Then one day, a sister from my congregation whose son was going to go live at Medina Children’s Home mentioned to me about Medina. Medina is a wonderful place where single mothers in difficult situations and children who need a fresh start can go live and have a second chance at life. I immediately could not believe that I had not thought of Medina?

I called a dear brother named Richard Brown from Highland Oaks Church of Christ who is a Medina Representative in the Dallas area and he started the ball rolling. I also spoke to a brother down at Medina who was very helpful and he started dialoging with with Robyn. After a few weeks of Robyn going through process and BY THE GRACE OF GOD—ROBYN AND HER DAUGHTER BELLA GOT INTO MEDINA!

Since then, Robyn and her daughter’s lives have been so blessed! They have a wonderful church home, a stable living environment, a job, daycare, and an overall heavenly Christian community in which to live! Only our God can take such difficult situations and turn them into such a beautiful story of hope! I'm reminded of the story of Ruth.

Robyn praises our God non-stop everyday! She has such a grateful heart and she knows that “her redeemer lives!” I have no doubt that one day Robyn will be a tremendous asset to the Kingdom of God and be a great source of support for many young women who will be going through difficult struggles!

What a mighty God we serve! HE is mighty to save!