And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands." Matthew 22:39-40 NLT
“Jesus emphasized and displayed love. God uses it to describe his essential nature. The Holy Spirit pours it into our hearts. Jesus stressed it would be our identifying quality as his disciples. When it comes to discipleship, Christian virtue, spiritual character, and ultimate holiness, it boils down to love. Now we're not talking about some sappy, insipid, fleeting emotion. We're talking about that determined, disciplined, and deliberate commitment to others to work for what is their best good in every situation.
Love means caring and sacrificing for others. Love means supporting and encouraging others. But love also means correcting and disciplining others. Love means standing up for truth when others want to abandon it for something cheap and artificial.
We are to love God from our toenails to the tops of our heads. But we cannot claim to love God and not love others. It all boils down to love.” Heartlight.org
------------------------ You love well! ----------------------
In the Spring of 2018, a young woman who had recently moved to the U.S. from a small Caribbean island, found herself pregnant and alone. She was in this strange place called Georgia, no family, very few friends and as she describes it “not financially fortunate”. This young woman knew that she needed help. But where would she find this help? She went to the one source that most everyone goes to seek help…Google.
After putting in the words “pregnancy help near me” the listing that popped up at the top was The Refuge Center. As she looked through our website, she found information about a free pregnancy test and ultrasound to confirm her pregnancy. She recounted about her experience here at Refuge that, “Everyone was so nice. I felt like I had found a new family that would help me with my pregnancy.”
While here for her appointment, our staff and volunteers encouraged her to join our motherhood classes. We told her about how she can earn baby items and maternity clothes by simply attending the classes and participating in the lessons.
Unfortunately, the young woman’s visa in the U.S. soon expired. So, she had to return to her Caribbean home for a while before she could come back to the U.S. While there, our Refuge advocates continued to follow up with her via email. We encouraged her to see her doctor on regular basis and inquired about her plans to move back to the U.S. and rejoin her husband. Those simple emails showing concern and care for her circumstances meant so much to her. Eventually, the young mother was legally able to permanently move to Georgia. She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Just recently she visited The Refuge Center again. This time her mission was to give back!
She brought her little 2-year-old boy to show him to her former motherhood class instructor. She had carefully preserved all the baby items that she was given for her son from Refuge and more. She was overjoyed to bring them to back and donate for another mother to have. She told me when I spoke to her, that she was “SO BLESSED” by the generosity of The Refuge Center that she was ecstatic to give back what she could.
I told her that it was not necessarily the generosity of just those who work here at Refuge, but it was the generosity of our friends and supporters. You loved this woman and her family with your dedication to this ministry. Your donations of baby items, financial resources and time for prayer are truly the love that makes this ministry work.
All of us, the staff, volunteers, clients, and their little babies are so thankful that you give back the love that Christ once gave you.
God bless you!
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