Luke 15:7 NLT – 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

My daughter Grace and I knocked on a door 2 months ago and met a young mom from Kentucky.  She has a troubled past and she was very encouraged by our prayers and that we really cared.  God has been working on her heart, way before we showed up that day.  She thought it was random that we showed up that day, but God doesn’t do random.  God planned it.

That day she was so open to the message of the cross.  She felt at peace because we were there.  That is all God!  She felt comfortable enough to tell us her story of drugs, and lots of etc.  She even said multiple times, “I don’t know why I am telling you this”….  We know though, God’s spirit working in us and that allowed her to share her heart. 

We had been playing some phone tag / text tag and today we finally set a time to meet up with her.  We wanted to show the verses in the Bible that show how to receive salvation.  We shared it all, God did the rest and she surrendered her life to Jesus.  All of heaven is having a party because of her!

The image at the right is from a recent text exchange.  Look at her heart…”I need help I’m struggling right now with life changing decisions but I believe God can help, I just need help finding him.”

She found him! Praise be to God!

As time went on, we played a lot of tag over text, trying to find a time to do a Bible study. The very next time we went Grace and I were able to lead her to the Lord. Praise God.

Some more time passed. I would send texts to her, but get no response. When I finally got a text back, she said she had spent the last couple weeks in a shelter. She was getting away from her boyfriend who was back on drugs. 

We finally got a time to meet again, Grace and I stopped over to have a Bible study with her. We had genuine concern for her wellbeing and for her 4-year-old son. I asked her if she ever thought about leaving and getting out of her situation.

She said yes, but she has challenges with her boyfriend, he also the father to her son, in that he is pretty controlling. He works, she doesn’t. He drives, she doesn’t. He has the money, she doesn’t. His family has money, her family doesn’t. 

The last time she left town to go to her brother’s funeral, the boyfriend hid her id to hinder her. He also wouldn’t let her take their son because he knew she wouldn’t come back.

When we asked if she wanted to leave. She said our bags are already packed. We have a plan for a cousin to drive out here from Kentucky and we will meet at the Burger King and off we will go. The only challenge is for her mother to come up with the money to make it happen.

We came prepared to help. We came prepared when we first knocked on the door. We told her that we would buy her plane tickets to leave. There were some delays with her making sure she was really ready. Also delays with her boyfriend being sick and not going to work.

But last Thursday she sent a text, “Can u guys still help me get a plane ticket. I really need to go and would love to leave in the morning”.  We booked the flight for her and her son.

She slept with her ID that night just in case her boyfriend thought something was up. We picked them up and dropped them off at the airport for their one-way tickets back to Kentucky.

She sent a few texts thanking us for helping her son get her mom back. She was in a trapped, depressing place, physically and spiritually. She had no way out. 

I read through this and responded praising God for what he is doing in her life. She responded with “He is amazing”

I had to re-read her text again to clarify what she said. The first night Grace and I knocked on the door, she wanted to take her own life. She couldn’t take it anymore. 

I was shocked and in awe of what God just did here.

God used us, because we were willing to GO. We were willing to be Christ to this woman. We were willing to insert ourselves in the messy lives of other people, just like Christ. 

God showed up because we obeyed and we were willing to be used for His purposes. Let’s not be afraid to be Christ to the hurting world around us. But are we willing?