No matter how big or small the group, we learned we cannot do it without another leading couple, who believe in the material and are trying their best to live out its principles. The burden was just too great. And try as we did to trust in the Lord, we started to carry too much ourselves and in our own strength.
In the last 12 hours we've gotten some wonderful feedback that does my heart good. It reminds me that we can be obedient and pour out as He asks us to, but in all things, we must...be still and know that He is God. And He is at work!!
During our last cycle, one family was in the midst of extreme grief following a murder-suicide, living with new guardians in a new country, and trying to find their feet as they discovered the living God. Last Friday marked two years from the tragic event that changed their lives, and all we can do is sit back and praise the Lord for His healing hand. So much has changed for the children of this incident and the family who took them in. We're still hoping and waiting for salvation to take place for one person, but for the rest of the family there is a celebration and awareness of God's rescue in their lives from sin and heartache and everything else under the sun. There will always be grief for those who perished and for what was taken from them, but it is clear that God took a horrible situation and turned it into something beautiful for these young adults.
A second family in the group was recommended to us by a local school. The mother had asked for help in dealing with her step-son who was in a free-fall of personal destruction. The parents' marriage was shaky at best, and the youngest son was living in turmoil. The couple joined us for about 6 months, never committing to church, but faithfully attending class and joining us in fellowship times. We saw amazing changes, but God wasn't done yet. Then all at once, they stopped coming and stopped responding to our attempts to connect. Frustration was high for me at that stage because this family was hurting and it was so difficult to watch. This morning, Derek ran into the wife at the traffic department. She would like us to join them at their house so they can share in person what God has done. It was a brief talk today but it seems things went terribly for about a month or so after they left and then suddenly everything shifted. They started putting into practice what we discussed in class and life has changed so much for them. The son has graduated from high school and is studying to be a social worker. The wife has started a new side business, and the family home is a joy to be in again. I don't know all the details, but just to hear that they are experiencing God's peace in their home and that they are no longer hurting one another is a huge, huge blessing to my heart.
Thank you Lord for using us in these situations and for carrying us through our own emotions as we led this group. I know a time is coming for us to start up again. Please bring the right couple for us to do this with. Thank you Father God for your perfect rescue.
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