Ecclesiastes 4:12 (TLB)
12 And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
Three things that I have observed make a difference in a woman's readiness for change and openness to the journey ahead...a heart cry, a friend and her call to motherhood.
First, I believe that when a woman comes with a heart crying out to Jesus He is responding to her cry for help as it states in Exodus 22:22-23 22 “You must not exploit widows or orphans; 23 if you do so in any way, and they cry to me for my help, I will surely give it." Their heart cry has been heard by Jesus and we are His answer to love, to care and to meet her need to be seen.
Second, when a woman comes with a trusted, faith-filled friend who has already been through ups and downs with her, and remained availble and present it makes a difference. Our role as a housing mission is not a forever landing spot and has limits...we are here for a certain time, to meet certain needs in a certain way through a certain lense...but a friendship completely outside of this, that has endured, sets the stage for her to trust taking a life altering step. She will engage faster, stay longer and already have at least one experience with being open in a new relationship.
Third, when there is also a motivating factor of pregnancy, reunification or protecting a child from abuse she will come with a vision past herself. The call to motherhood is present inside each of us and as we experience the love of Christ and His mothering and fathering,we begin to trust and see beyond ourselves to a future.
It takes a strong cord to withstand the attacks that come when stepping from darkness into light. It takes many hands and hearts affirming, encouraging and interceeding and you and I are called to be those hands and hearts. These are the strands that work togther to construct the road out.
My heart cry is that those crying out to Jesus will come to our doors, that those already on the journey with them will remain faithful and remain on the journey and that we will not ignore or set aside the call to motherhood that the enemy so clearly means to decimate in the hearts of the women we serve.
He hears. He answers. He sees.