Hope

I (Rebecca) had a conversation recently with someone who encouraged me to share not only the good times, but to also share when things are not going well.  Things mostly are going well, but it has been emotionally heartbreaking recently.  Sometimes it is just so hard to stand by and watch your kids go down a path you would never wish for them...so here is a tiny glimpse into it.

It is easy to focus on the good, the easy; the things that melt your heart. The kids running up to you giving you kisses, calling you mom and dad, them appreciating what we are doing, seeing hearts seek after God, and the list goes on. But there is so much more to our work than that. There are days when you watch your heart get ripped out of your chest, devastating disappointment, feelings of despair and wondering where God is in the midst of hard situations. Watching a child you deeply care for fight everyday against a million lies, lies of not being good enough, of being stupid, of being a failure, hopeless. 

Watching them give up and walk away from a chance of something good, a better life. Watching a heart turn hard towards God, watching them make bad decisions. Seeing a 4^th grader not be able to spell her name and wondering what type of future she will have. Hearing that kids are not as safe as we wish in their apartments, watching directors get thrown out for standing up for the kids. Hearing the bad advice the psychologists give the children. Hearing the kid's stories and truly understanding how hard it is for them to believe that God has always been watching out for them and loving them.

Questioning God's timing and patience, doubts that our work will not change anything. This is the every day battle, sometimes more obvious than others. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 It is a battle that takes all your strength and brings you to your knees, knowing that God is the only one who can change any of this, and clinging to the promise that He is victorious. 

 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:5

Pray with us, for us, for our kids, their futures and their salvation...their lives depend on it.