Once again here we are at the most wonderful time of the year…Christmas time. It is undeniable when you gaze upon all the decorations of greenery, lights, and ornaments that are everywhere you look.
However, there is one decoration that has showed up in recent years that has made me ponder on how it is being received. This questionable decoration is a sign that simply says “Believe”. It seems to have popped up everywhere. I see it in store windows, on friends’ mantels, and so on.
What exactly is it that we are being asked to “Believe”?
Are we being asked to believe in the jolly fat man in the red suit who grants children’s wishes via eight tiny reindeer? Or are we being asked to believe in the biblical account of the virgin birth of our Lord and Savior?
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. “ I believe in this. You probably do too. But sadly, we know that not everyone does. This is the mission of The Refuge Center.
A tale of two mothers…
Recently we had two clients whose testimony of their Refuge experience made me ponder on how people come to believe what they believe.
The first mother I have to tell you about has been described as a precious young lady! She told her advocate that she wasn’t sure if she was pregnant because she had done two home tests and one was inconclusive, the other positive. So, she decided to come to Refuge
because she believed that we would help her sort it out.
This young mother also told her advocate that she came to our center around six years ago. The first time she came to Refuge as a pregnancy client she was undecided of whether she was going to carry to term.
In other words, she was considering an abortion because she was a young girl in high school at the time and she believed she couldn’t do it. Whoever it was that counseled her back then made a big impression! She chose life and kept her baby boy!
Today she says "he's the apple of my eye."
The second client that recounted her Refuge experience was here for the initial ultrasound of her pregnancy. The nurse that helped her said this young woman was so happy to see the baby and heartbeat. She expressed so much thankfulness to see her baby in her womb.
A few years earlier, she was here under different circumstances. During the height of the pandemic, when we saw so many clients gripped by fear, this young woman found herself unexpectedly pregnant. She was in a bad situation in her life with a bad relationship. Our staff encouraged her to lean on the Lord and to really consider the long-term effects of her choice. We prayed with her and for her while she struggled with her circumstances. Unfortunately, she believed the fear that was crippling her, and she chose to end the pregnancy.
Today, she is in a more stable relationship. She said they are both so happy about this pregnancy. This young woman believed that she could come back to Refuge and receive the same level of truth, compassion and care that she was shown before.
Jesus explains to Nicodemus in the gospel of John that the Holy Spirit is like the wind.
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8
Every day, with every client that the Lord brings to us, we pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit our words and deeds will plant seeds of faith in Jesus Christ on their heart.
The world presents us with evidence of the magic of Christmas created by the many images of jolly old St. Nick everywhere. But we all know the truth that you can go up to any sidewalk Santa and pull off their hat to find a kindly gentleman just trying to do some good.
But experiencing the effects of the invisible wind that blows from the Spirit of Elohim is the miraculous work that happens here at Refuge every day. And we have to thank you for believing in this ministry! You, my friend give sacrificially of your resources to support our mission. We know that when you answer the call to lend provision to our center, you are answering the leading of the Holy Spirit blowing through your life.
Our team at Refuge is so grateful that not only do you believe in John 3:16 but you also believe in John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” And we pray that our clients will
believe as Luke in his gospel declares “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37
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