😳I saw her naked backside as we drove by. 😳My heart was broken for her. Homeless, living in tents in Echo Park, next to many other homeless people. Caleb and I were driving to church (next door to Echo Park) yesterday as I saw this and my heart was so discouraged. I could feel the sorrow, brokenness and desperation of these people.
I walked into church so disheartened. During worship I was weeping for friends of mine who just got horrible news, for my husbands back injury, for the many homeless people we passed by on our drive to church, for other pain and brokenness in this world. The little and big pains of people felt suffocating and I cried out to God to come and help in every painful situation.
Then a woman got up to share her testimony. This happens every week at church from someone living at our church, The Dream Center. The woman shared about getting into the party scene with her friends. Alcohol soon became an addiction over her life. She shared about her boyfriend beating her, and him leaving her & taking their child, after finding her wasted & lots more alcohol in their house. Instead of looking for them she bought all the alcohol she could and locked herself in her house for a week drinking herself almost to death.
Until she found herself homeless, and living in a tent at Echo Park. The next overdose she was taken to a hospital and one of the nurses told her about the Dream Center. The hospital referred her to the the full healing hospital, our church. And soon after she moved into our church, the place of hope & dreams.
She’s learning she is loved, forgiven, purposeful. She’s learning that her story is not over. She’s getting full help & healing over every area of her life. She shared that Jesus’ love is making her new. She’s growing with a community of broken people who have a mighty God that hasn’t given up on them.
Our church is truly a hospital for the broken. Some have lost EVERYTHING. But then God uses our Pastor, staff, volunteers, donors, therapists, educators, to help bring full restoration to their lives. That woman is my hero, all those people are my heroes. Story finished in first comment below!
I walked out of church wrecked by God’s love. Remembering that NOTHING or NO ONES story is too hopeless for our GREAT GOD. And God wants to use US to be a part of this healing, as He’s healing us. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” -Luke 1:37
Discouragement, cancer, hopelessness, sickness, addiction, broken relationships, homelessness, disconnection from others, hatred, abuse is traded for Hope, healing, purpose, abundance, belonging, kindness, joy, love, peace, forgiveness.
I thought of the naked women I had seen an hour earlier. I prayed that HOPE can still be apart of her story too. Do you know that you’re called to be a world changer and light bringer too? Love hearing from you!
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him”— 1 Corinthians 2:9
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