I lead a teenage girls' bible study in my home. Wendy is in my group...and now in my family. When I met her she was 15. She came a few times to group and we really had not even made a connection yet at that point. Then she hit a BIG bump in the road and her family asked if she could live with us for awhile. I agreed but had a fit with God about it. I was still healing emotionally from some issues God and I had recently walked thru and I was on a break...so I thought. God wanted my obedience and He wanted it with a happy heart! I chose to trust Him. I am so glad I did!
Her family was so humble and brave to trust God thru us. They had only heard of Jerome and I and had no personal experience with us. Their heart to see their daughter healed and made whole was so precious to me! In faith they handed her over to God and us.
The first few days she sort of tagged along with me while I did the things in my schedule. When we finally had our big talk where I asked all the tough questions...my heart broke at her answers. She had been thru so much (things that did not involve her family) and had bought into so many lies. She had no relationship with God and in fact it was almost a foreign concept to her...yet she was raised in church. She knew of God but did not KNOW Him!
She longed to be desired and to feel beautiful and turned to all the wrong places for acceptance and love. That second week I prayed and cried for her every morning and night...begging God for a miracle but honestly I was not getting my hopes up.
Our initial agreement was for her to stay from May thru the summer.
She helped me fold laundry...she swept the floor...played with the boys...and all the while we would talk and talk some more. The core of what I would tell her was that she was deeply loved and had great worth and value apart from what she did or didn't do. There was complete forgiveness for everything from her past. God wanted her to fall as madly in love with Him as He was with her...He wanted her whole heart. This was the common theme of what I shared with her over and over and over. She had such a moldable heart. She politely listened...and listened and LISTENED. I had no new information for her over those first few months...I repeated the same themes over and over. We would simply talk and pray and do life together.
As she allowed those first truths to become her truths...she invited me to give her counsel on the many relationships in her life...with her boyfriend...her parents...her friends...her siblings...she let me in....more importantly she let God in. Everything of value in this life is found in relationships...this is why our enemy works so hard to destroy them. She began to see who He created her to be. The blinders came off and then she committed to the hard part. She began allowing Him to walk her thru the process of learning a new way to live.
She tore down many alters in her heart. She walked away from unhealthy relationships and cultivated godly ones. She has had times of brokenness...times of great joy...and times of more brokenness...but she fully surrendered. Many things on the outside of Wendy's life look different. She makes different choices...is involved in different activities...but this is NOT the point...She is different on the inside...this IS the point. She is a a COMPLETELY different person today. She is a new creation in Christ. His beauty RADIATES thru her!
Wendy has been in our home for 6 months. She will always be in our family. She has been grafted into our hearts. He has surpassed my expectations and has honored the tiny mustard seed of faith I had when He brought her to us. He showed me my part was to love her and pray for her and He promised to do the work in her life. He has been faithful once again!
Wendy is a delight! She has compassion for others, a servant's heart, a unique beauty, a love for God and people. God is using her to change the world around her. I am humbled that He allowed me to witness His love for her in such an intimate way. I am honored He allowed me to help carry her burdens. My life is forever changed because she is in it.
Wendy is moving back to live with her family the first of January. Thankfully they live only a few miles up the street from me :) God has done wonderful things in her family and I am SUPER happy He is reuniting them. We are all rejoicing together at what He has done. He has healed her broken heart and her broken relationships. He has given her a new life...one filled with hope and love.
Wendy, you are a rare jewel. May you always know that the King in enthralled with your beauty!
Her family was so humble and brave to trust God thru us. They had only heard of Jerome and I and had no personal experience with us. Their heart to see their daughter healed and made whole was so precious to me! In faith they handed her over to God and us.
The first few days she sort of tagged along with me while I did the things in my schedule. When we finally had our big talk where I asked all the tough questions...my heart broke at her answers. She had been thru so much (things that did not involve her family) and had bought into so many lies. She had no relationship with God and in fact it was almost a foreign concept to her...yet she was raised in church. She knew of God but did not KNOW Him!
She longed to be desired and to feel beautiful and turned to all the wrong places for acceptance and love. That second week I prayed and cried for her every morning and night...begging God for a miracle but honestly I was not getting my hopes up.
Our initial agreement was for her to stay from May thru the summer.
She helped me fold laundry...she swept the floor...played with the boys...and all the while we would talk and talk some more. The core of what I would tell her was that she was deeply loved and had great worth and value apart from what she did or didn't do. There was complete forgiveness for everything from her past. God wanted her to fall as madly in love with Him as He was with her...He wanted her whole heart. This was the common theme of what I shared with her over and over and over. She had such a moldable heart. She politely listened...and listened and LISTENED. I had no new information for her over those first few months...I repeated the same themes over and over. We would simply talk and pray and do life together.
As she allowed those first truths to become her truths...she invited me to give her counsel on the many relationships in her life...with her boyfriend...her parents...her friends...her siblings...she let me in....more importantly she let God in. Everything of value in this life is found in relationships...this is why our enemy works so hard to destroy them. She began to see who He created her to be. The blinders came off and then she committed to the hard part. She began allowing Him to walk her thru the process of learning a new way to live.
She tore down many alters in her heart. She walked away from unhealthy relationships and cultivated godly ones. She has had times of brokenness...times of great joy...and times of more brokenness...but she fully surrendered. Many things on the outside of Wendy's life look different. She makes different choices...is involved in different activities...but this is NOT the point...She is different on the inside...this IS the point. She is a a COMPLETELY different person today. She is a new creation in Christ. His beauty RADIATES thru her!
Wendy has been in our home for 6 months. She will always be in our family. She has been grafted into our hearts. He has surpassed my expectations and has honored the tiny mustard seed of faith I had when He brought her to us. He showed me my part was to love her and pray for her and He promised to do the work in her life. He has been faithful once again!
Wendy is a delight! She has compassion for others, a servant's heart, a unique beauty, a love for God and people. God is using her to change the world around her. I am humbled that He allowed me to witness His love for her in such an intimate way. I am honored He allowed me to help carry her burdens. My life is forever changed because she is in it.
Wendy is moving back to live with her family the first of January. Thankfully they live only a few miles up the street from me :) God has done wonderful things in her family and I am SUPER happy He is reuniting them. We are all rejoicing together at what He has done. He has healed her broken heart and her broken relationships. He has given her a new life...one filled with hope and love.
Wendy, you are a rare jewel. May you always know that the King in enthralled with your beauty!
11 comments:
Oh, Shanna...this is amazing. I love your heart and I LOVE WENDY!!! I agree, she is precious and I am so glad I have gotten to know her. She is a joy to be around!! Thank you for typing this up, it is so true and so sweet!!! She is LOVED!!!
Wow! What an awesome testimony. I once lived with a christian family in college. It was my first real experience around christians. They hold such a special place in my heart because they took me in...me who was unloved, abused, and broken. How awesome is the Lord, he knows our needs before we know to ask. I love your spirit Shanna, it is radiant!!!
Oh, oh!! I KNOW who Wendy is!!! She comes on Wednesday night to Switch and Dirk and I serve on the 3rd floor!!
Please tell her to come introduce herself---or I'll just look for her.
What a great story---and a great outcome. What an honor for your family to share in her tranformation. Awesome stuff!!
STEF...she is a joy isn't she? DONNA...I too had a Christian family take me in right after I was saved....I lived with them for 8 months before I met and married Jerome...it was MONUMENTAL in my relationship with Christ!!! Yes that is her. ROBIN...her family homeschools too...her mom is on the EFL loop...her name is Angie Dawson...I will have her come saw Hi...she is a jewel!
Shanna, you will never know what you have done for Wendy. I also love Wendy and have seen in her for years the beauty that you helped her to unveil. Thank you so much. God will richly bless you for saving her and bringing her to the truth of how beautiful and valuable she is.
Deleise, thank you for your kind words...I simply let God love her thru me the same way countless others have let God love me thru them. I am so happy she is found in Him!!!
So amazing to hear something so great about someone I only saw show up to Bible Study. This story makes me desire a "share time" in our Precept just to give God glory for what He has done/is doing in each of our lives....PTL!!!
Shanna, I am so beyond words right now! God truly never ceases to amaze me. God has created such a beautiful family with you! He has truly given you "hinds feet" as you bound from glory to glory (all in His Name) to reach and conquer the high places He calls you to. I do not know Wendy intimately (sad for me:) but all I have to do is look at her and I see Christ' gentle spirit, drawing the world around her, to come and taste to see for themselves that yes, HE IS GOOD. What a gift! Everytime I have been around her she is joyful. I know that she too has been a strength to you, Jerome, and the boys. I love the full circle aspect of Christ. The reaping, the sowing , the trials, the testing, the victories, the sufferings, the tears and the joys of walking with and running to Jesus our LORD and SAVIOR! As Donna said, "I love your spirit Shanna." I love your humbleness and your heart that wants only to give Him all the praise and glory for everything that enters into your life. That is another "consistency" of yours :)
Rachel...we do need a share time at Precept...how cool would that be?
Christie...I am so ELATED that God has reconnected us. I have missed seeing Christ express Himself thru you so beautifully! So much of my desire to pour out was birthed in you and your family pouring into me...I love you!
Shanna,
Praise God for the work He has done through you and in Wendy! I have known this family for years. In fact, they were the first home school family I met, and I was so fascinated by them all. I love them dearly. Wendy is a special girl and am sure she will do wonderful things for His glory!
Bless you!
Melinda Biddy
This is such a sweet story...loved both sides! It such a story of hope...love it! I secretly prayed that what you guys seem to have done for Wendy would have happened for me, but God is good & knows better what He needs to do to grow us. What a blessing it is to hear!
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