By Steve McRee
One of the things that always amazes and encourages me is how quickly Shepherd’s Gate women begin to think of ways they can help rescue others once they’ve been rescued themselves.
Once they see that freedom is truly possible, they want freedom for everyone who is still “out there” struggling to overcome homelessness or addiction or abuse.
It’s what we always hope for. We strive to restore women’s sense of self-worth and dignity. We help them rebuild strength and stability. And then we do our best to equip them to reach out and make a difference in their world.
But these precious women often beat us to that third party before we have a chance to say a word!
Once God gets ahold of people’s hearts, He does such wonderful work. These women have been so broken, but once they find healing, they want to help heal others. It’s such a beautiful thing. A powerful thing.
It brings to mind a treasured verse — 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.” (NLT)
God has given these ladies great power and a unique platform to change the world, and I’m just so excited that people like you and me get to be a part of their transformation. When we lovingly reach out bravely to broken people, God raises them up to love others and the cycle continues. Praise God!