Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10
Her brown eyes were wide. Her words were piercing. She said, “I have lived rough before and I know what it’s like to be without power; I know what it’s like to be on the streets.” Her words silenced the room. I asked her what was the difference between experiencing a power outage at Acres of Hope, and having no power out living on the streets. She said, “When you’re all alone out on the streets the one beautiful thing that happens is at nighttime you can see the stars.” Then she spoke as if in a whisper, “ The rest gets hard when it gets cold, or you didn’t get enough to eat, or a child you are trying to keep.” Then she looked up and stared right in my eyes and said, “A power outage here at Acres of Hope was different because I wasn’t alone and I had a roof over my head.”
As I considered her words, I pondered the world she used to know. The nights of rough or no sleeping. I considered how she may have gone to bed hungry some nights to make sure her child had enough to eat. I even thought about her viewing the stars at night, and considering something grander than herself. Yet the thing that stood out to her was that she now had a home and she was no longer alone. Considering in both scenarios the power was out, one situation held a hope for her, that she did not want to relinquish. Living homeless brought her to the doors of Acres of Hope. Yet the realization of faith, community, and stability is what will keep her here until she is ready to step out into her next level of thriving. The power of God is at work at Acres of Hope. Though physical power may be put out, God’s power to transform lives, and open the eyes of women and their children to a new way of being will never cease.
To see first hand how God’s power is at work at Acres of Hope schedule a tour today,
Visit: acresofhopeonline.org or Call 530-878-8030