There is certainly a lot to be afraid of in our world today; pandemics, wars, rising prices and so much more in our own individual lives. But here is the good news…God is still on His throne, and He is in control! 365 times He tells us in His word to not fear. That is not a coincidence that we have one for every day of the year…365 times! Every day at The Refuge Center, we try to help scared moms and dads squash their fears through God’s grace.
In the past year, we have connected with our clients more than ever before. Like all of us, they are faced with so much uncertainty and many fears. It has been our great pleasure to visit with them and share God’s love. As you look at the statistics from 2021 listed in our reports and correspondence, please keep in mind, that each number represents a God moment. These are sweet moments in time, where the Refuge team spoke life to a scared mom or dad and encouraged them not to fear. We reminded them that they are courageous and can choose to be joyful in their trials if they give it to God. We had so many God moments in the last 365 days like that…here are just a few shared by some of our wonderful staff and volunteers:
Lisa- “As a volunteer I came in expecting to do office admin type work or help with sorting and organizing baby clothes. I was looking to be behind the scenes. Angela saw a different future for me and asked me to train as a client advocate. I agreed to give it a try, but it really made me nervous. Through the excellent training that we have and shadowing experienced advocates, I became more comfortable. The best advice that I was given is that God will give us the words to say, and it is the Holy Spirit who will convict someone’s heart. That was not my responsibility. I pray before every encounter with a client. God has been faithful to me through it all. I now work with the Practical Parenting program, (our earn while you learn classes for moms and dads) and I love the relationships that I have developed with our mothers. This program has grown so much since Covid came about. What could have been the death of our program made it boom as we became more online oriented out of necessity. Genesis 50:20 tells me that what the enemy ‘intended to harm me…God intended it for good ’ We went from serving an average of 35 women per year to serving over 80 in 2021. Praise the Lord!”
Valerie- “I have been in service and ministry to the Lord for many years. I am also a mother. One of my favorite verses in God’s word is Psalm 139:13; ‘For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.’ I just love the idea that this is how He brings life into the world. But it wasn’t until I recently started volunteering here at Refuge, that this sweet Bible verse became alive to me as only He can bring life. It happened when I was asked by our Nurse Manager to join her in the room as a client was having an ultrasound. That is when I saw something that brought me to tears. There she was in the ‘Secret Place’ where God was knitting her together. I have never seen a pre-born child before. I had never had an ultrasound with my pregnancies. (Yes, I’m that old) So here that sweet baby was, moving around, heart beating, and practically dancing in the womb! Hallelujah! Praise God for the gift of LIFE and sharing such a sweet moment with me.”
Toni- “I have been serving in God’s ministry here at Refuge for many years. I love how God uses new and creative ways to accomplish His perfect will in my life and in the lives of our clients. One day this past year, I had an appointment with a young lady that was leaning toward abortion if her pregnancy test was positive. When she came to the front desk, I had to scan her ID into our system as is our policy. I scanned hers in, but it got stuck in the scanner. I told her that I needed to get some help, because I didn’t know how to fix it. So, I asked her to come on back so we could get her test started and I would have her ID back to her shortly. While talking to her about the possibility of carrying her child to term and choosing life, we had a lot of discussion about God. She told me that she could just not see anyway that she could have this baby. I told her that God had already made a way. We had a sweet discussion, I prayed with her and for her. I asked the Lord to give her a sign that she could have this baby and that He would be with her through it all. When this sweet young woman left our office, she was still unsure what to do. She told me she had already made an appointment for the next day to have an abortion. Throughout the night I prayed for her whenever she entered my thoughts. Then the next afternoon, I found out that the miracle we had prayed for had already been brought to bear. You see that young lady did keep her abortion appointment, but she was turned away almost immediately when she could not show her ID…BECAUSE SHE FORGOT IT AND LEFT IT AT REFUGE! She called us and told us that God had given her a sign and stopped her from having that abortion. She would be by shortly to pick her ID and give me a hug! Praise Jesus!”
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