Today's post was written by Brook Hills member and small group leader, Carol Brown.

 

On Wednesday mornings, we have 5-6 women's small groups that meet at the church, and each semester, these small groups serve together in the community. The following report is about the group of ladies that served back in May at East Lake House, which is a state-funded independent living facility for men and women who need subsidized housing and services. We have several Brook Hills members who serve here on a regular basis by hosting a music night and a game night each month as well as Bible studies for the men and women. On the particular serving day that Carol describes below, the women prepared lunch and served their new friends.


Oh, I can't tell you how great God is. He never ceases to amaze me.

We had a precious group of women on both sides come. The women at the East Lake House were so gracious and thankful for what we were doing for them, although we continually reminded them to look toward Christ not us. The serving that took place was a pleasure and so rewarding. We sat with the ladies and talked to them about their lives and their needs. Most of all, we talked to them about the love of Jesus. Beforehand, we joined hands and prayed that these women would see Jesus in us and see Jesus as the one and only way to salvation. We also prayed for our friend, Pam, who would be giving her testimony. We prayed that God would use her and that the Spirit would guide her to say what needed to be said. Pam told a few of us that she prayed all morning that God would have His way with her testimony and that she would say something that would move the women toward Christ.

Tummies were full and the laughter was much when we called for a hush in the room. We talked to the ladies about our study that semester of Luke and the life of Christ.

Then Pam got up to give her testimony. Immediately, the room was filled with the Spirit. Pam shared her life with the women there, not only the women who lived at the Center but with the women of our church. You see, Pam has been down many roads in her life: child abuse from an alcoholic father, abusive boyfriend, and husband and the death of an only child (five years old) to a lake drowning. Losing her will to live, Pam tried to find ways to die and engaged in alcohol abuse and drug abuse. She was mad at God. Pam knew who God was but had never moved Him from her head into her heart. She was in control and making bad decisions. All these things led to prison more than one time in her life. Yet, still all this led her to Christ. It was in prison that the Lord pierced her heart and brought her to her knees. Now out of prison and reunited with her Christian husband, she lives for Christ and wants to help others who feel they have no hope by offering them the one who gave her hope, Jesus.

Through Pam's testimony, Jesus dropped chins, opened eyes, and brought tears.

As the Spirit moved in the room, one of the woman called for prayer for Pam. Then, the women who lived at the Center, began to ask for prayer for health problems. Each one sitting in the chair in front of us as we prayed individually for these ladies. How humbling.

Such a rewarding time with the Lord. As we were leaving, one of the women latched on to Pam in the hallway, crying on her shoulder, asking her to remember her. There was a moving of the Spirit that day. Awed.

 

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