I am still at Windy Gap and I cannot believe I only have one more week here. I have seen God work through my high schoolers here in an amazing way.
I have one girl who said to me the first few days, "My parents don't like me. They don't like who I am. We fight all the time. You have no idea what it is like to know your parents care nothing about you." Today, she came to me and told me she called home yesterday and apologized to her parents for being angry at them. Her dad for one of the first times told her how much he loves her just the way she is.
Or there is this other girl who came to Windy Gap with no relatiohship with God. Kelli was open and honest with us about how she had never seen God before. Kristen (who worked along side Kelli) overheard Kelli say that she had never even opened a bible before, so Kristen bought a bible, wrapped it up, and placed it on Kelli's bed. Kelli tearfully told us after she found her new bible that this was the most treasured gift she had ever been given. Kelli has recently caught the flu and is having to go home. Our work crew is devistated. One of the other bosses went in to talk to Kelli, and Kelli said this to her, "Up until now, I had never seen God before, but I have seen God through the work crew here. I beleive." She might be going home early, but she has a heavenly father who is going with her.
Or there is this email I got from one of my best friends, Ivy. Her mom, Sweet, died of cancer a few months ago; her mom changed my life and was one of the most fun people I know. Ivy has been sending us "Wednesday Reading" emails and this is the story she including about her mom this week:
"When Tom and Cathy realized they could not have children they began saving the $15,000 it takes to adopt a baby through Buckner. They saved just the amount by January 1984, which was around the same time Richardson First Baptist was campaigning to move buildings. Tom was sitting in church and felt that God wanted him to put the $15,000 towards the new building campaign. He boldly told Cathy, “We need to give the money to the church, and if we are supposed to adopt God will provide us another $15,000.” ... About that time Tom was put on a short assignment in Lubbock, TX with Texas Instruments and within six months this new assignment provided the Lassiters with an extra $15,000. They were placed on Buckner's adoption waiting list.
On July 30, 1984 Drew was born. Eight days later Tom and Cathy brought their new baby home. In typical baptist church fashion Sweet Hopkins prepared a southern meal (in the kitchen that Tom and Cathy use today) and took it to the happy new parents. Cathy said, "Sweet, you did not have to bring us any food. I am just fine - I didn't have a baby." Sweet, with her hands on her hips, matter of factly said, "Cathy, that is ridiculous. Every other new mother gets a weeks worth of food brought to their house. You should too. " Cathy still remembers the only meal that was brought to their house in celebration of their new baby boy. Ten months later Sweet had a baby named Ivy. Twenty three years later Drew and Ivy started dating."
God is such a MASTER storyteller. I am just amazed at His ideas.
