A True Story of God’s Victory In a Family That Had Lost All Hope

One of the things God has taught me over my four years of work as a sidewalk counselor with Cities4Life is NEVER GIVE UP.  I have also learned that it is hard not to give up sometimes. Some of the stories and issues the abortion-minded women face are overwhelming. Yet somehow, God always seems to make a way. Sometimes it is not what we expect or even want, but He always is there in the mess.

I blogged some time ago about a family that I met when they came to the abortion clinic with their kids in a car with no AC, 95 degrees heat wave, and the car was on its last treads of life, for sure. Homeless, and now pregnant, the mom, J, did not feel she had any choice but to abort. While she’d been with the boyfriend for eleven years and all her kids were his, they just had never gotten around to marrying. He had a decent job, but bad choices and bad luck had thrown them into their current dismal situation.

Because of the awesome partnership with LoveLlife Charlotte and the many donors and supporters of Cities4Life, we were able to offer this family interim housing for a couple of months. I shared the gospel with both parents and they both asked Jesus to be Lord of their life. They instantly knew they must get married, and knowing God’s word on intimacy outside of marriage, asked that we help them to marry NOW. 

We did, complete with a lovely dress, ring, and pastor who asked to let him perform the wedding. We even were able to give them a fancy honeymoon hotel and dinner. We helped get them a lovely large van with AC and enough seats for the growing family. We fixed the old car. We found a housing/training program that seemed ideal, but the wait would be at least 5-6 months to enter it.

Then came struggle. Work problems. Unexpected car problems. Money issues and struggle to continue funding interim housing. For a while, I think we all despaired. We all thought about giving up. 

I stayed in touch with J, and I remember many conversations where I “talked her off the cliff.” Her due date approached and still no definite place to live. She was growing increasingly worried. However, she often said to me, “I don’t know how it will work out, but I know God will work it out.”  Then due to a really unexpected set of events, the program all our hopes were on was unable to take them. Now what?

I contacted an alternate program. They had an opening, and they loved the “God story” of this family. However, the apartment they had available needed a lot of work. They did not have the funds to fix up the apartment. I asked: if we could raise the funds, would they let the family in the program....and could they do it by Nov. 15? The mom was due by the end of November since she always goes into labor early, and our baby shower that provides the first two full years of the baby’s needs was scheduled for Nov. 15.

They said yes. They told me the amount they would need to get the apartment ready and cover entry costs.

So, I put out a facebook plea for funds and blogged about it. Within 24 hours, we had the money needed for the repairs. Then the program director told us the only way we could have the apartment in time was if we could raise a team of helpers to work THIS WEEKEND on the apartment. We found folks almost instantly. (We could still use more help if you are available Saturday.) Then we realized that while the program does provide furnishing, it usually takes two weeks for it to arrive. The family will move in in four days. 

I put out another facebook plea for sleeping bags and air matts.  A facebook follower dropped by my house a few hours later with two sleeping bags and four pillows. The program director found 3 cots they could use. I have a queen air matt and two sleeping bags. We just need one pillow, and one sleeping bag. I am confident someone will show up with those. They can move in the night before the baby shower. 

It will be spartan, but sure beats a single small hotel room which is where their past five months have been spent for the most part. With three young children!

I am leaping for joy. It has been such a long and difficult road. But God is faithful.

I took the mom out for her birthday before the final meeting with the program director. She had not made a firm decision yet on whether they would enter this program. It is wonderful, but rigorous. They will have all kinds of fantastic training in all areas necessary for successful management of their resources so that when they leave, they will be well-equipped to be successfully independent.

The mom was waffling because this was not her dream. Her dream was her own little home in a safe place that she owned. I reminded her to keep the big picture in mind. Oftentimes what we face in the present is not where we hope to be. We have to keep ourselves content with present circumstances, but not satisfied till we have reached the goal that may be on a distant horizon.

Honestly, that is true of the Christian walk. We are not home here on earth. This is but a temporary home. We must do our best in this imperfect place but never lose sight of the goal. A mansion is prepared for us in heaven and we will be with God with no more sorrow or despair or wondering where He is when all looks hopeless. Hope will no longer be deferred but will be shining all around us and upon us. We will see our Lord face to face and all the struggle will be but a distant memory.

Thank you Lord for upholding us when we felt too weary to continue on our own tired legs. The victory and the glory belongs to Him.

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If you want to be a part of this life-saving ministry, please click HERE  Please contact me at vkaseorg@cities4life.com to help with the work on Saturday or to bring a pillow and sleeping bag to this family. Bless you all who have helped thus far! You are a part of a miracle.

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Matthew 17:20 

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”