Full Circle
It’s hard to believe our time here at the House of Blessing is almost over. It has been a week full of emotions ranging from intense heartbreak to overflowing love. It has filled me up and drained me, both at the same time. It really is hard to put into words what I have felt. What I can express is how thankful I am to have had this experience. My heart has grown and will never be the same. It feels as though the world has gotten a little smaller and God’s Kingdom has grown.
I have loved spending time with the children at the House of Blessing and find great joy in hearing my own daughter’s excitement to go spend time with them too. They have found a special place in our hearts and we are already dreading the impending departure. We will forever be imprinted by their sweet smiles, the sound of their laughter and the visual of them lining up at the fence anytime you walked by. We would bring every last one of them home with us if we could. We know that we can’t, but instead can be praying for them and for their mothers. We pray for their future and that God would hold them in the palm of his hand. We trust in his perfect plan for each one of their lives and that gives us some peace.
I thank God for the House of Blessing that provides a safe place for babies and children whose parents are incarcerated. They also house youth and adults coming out of the criminal justice system helping them with life skills, discipleship and job training. They also go into the prison and minister to the inmates. I really connected these two ministries in a special way. Today we visited another women’s prison and during the service one of the women shared that her little girl was at the House of Blessing. She described her and we knew right away which one she was. I immediately felt a connection, mom to mom, as she shared how much she missed her. We had the opportunity to go out and pray with them and I wanted to pray with her. I wanted to let her know that her daughter is well cared for, happy, and learning about the love of the Lord. We cried together and I told her I wouldn’t forget her and would continue to pray for her and her daughter. The whole experience made it “real” to me. I have been spending time with the children at the House of Blessing and now had the chance to meet a mom of one of these precious children. Even though we don’t speak the same language, we live thousands of miles apart in cultures that are quite different from each other, we really are much the same. We both love our children, we both love God and we are both loved by God unconditionally.
I thank God for the House of Blessing and the work that God is doing through it.