Summer is quickly flying by and I am so happy to be able to spend the summer home this year! One of the benefits of staying home is that I get to volunteer with my mom and her Love in Action group. Recently they started working with a home in Charlotte that is for women who are in prison but have qualified due to good behavior to have a little bit of freedom. The women are able to have jobs and leave the house if accompanied by a sponsor. Most Sunday mornings we pick up about two or three of the women and take them to church with us. Some weeks we do a game night and get to have fun with the ladies. I don’t know their backgrounds or why they are there, but I do know that they need someone to show them love. They know they messed up; they don’t need to be reminded of that. The ladies I have met are so sweet and I have enjoyed getting to know them!
Last Sunday was Mother’s Day and we took two of the ladies with us to Elevation. It happened to work out that my mom sat between them and I sat on the other side of the ladies. When we were praying before the service, we were all holding hands. This may seem like a “So what?” kind of moment, but I was reminded of something that I knew but had never really experienced before.
When we go to church, we don’t know what the situation of the person next to us is. I doubt that anyone around us knew that we had brought two ladies with us who are convicted criminals currently serving time. Yet, God knew. And he saw them as his children, not as his wayward creations.
And the best part: my mom isn’t the only sponsor who takes women to Elevation on Sunday mornings. There are numerous women from the home going all over the city of Charlotte each weekend and attending an Elevation service! Just another reason why I love this church!
Please pray for the women in the home and that those who are Christians will continue to shine a light in the home. Pray for those who are trying to bring light to their families back home and that when they are released they will continue to follow Christ with everything that they are. Pray that God will provide for them once they are released and that he will protect them from making mistakes again.
I know that it could easily be me in their place. I could have made decisions that landed me in the home right next to them. I am thankful that God has presented this opportunity to love on them this summer and I pray that he will continue to stretch my comfort zone. May God show you who to reach out to this summer and may you take the time to build a relationship with them that fully shows them God’s love through you.
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