“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
This is probably one of the first verses I memorized as a child. In times when I question things in my life or I’m going through struggles, this Bible verse always comes to mind. But trusting in the Lord is something I struggle with—not only in my personal life, but in my work life.
This past year has been a whirlwind for my husband and I because we found out we were pregnant. Obviously we were joyful, but there was also some shock and anxiety. We weren’t planning to have kids for another couple years, but God had different plans. After I found out I was expecting, Proverbs 3:5-6 came to mind, and with it came the peace of knowing that God is in control.
Trusting There is Purpose
It has been a joy to see how God is working in my life through this unplanned pregnancy. I have more empathy for the clients I see everyday. Some of these women have little, if any, support. Many have no reliable way to provide and are left with such uncertainty in their life.
When sharing truth with them, it’s so hard to see their hearts breaking and yearning for something more. What makes it even harder is when they decide not to accept the help we are offering them—physically, emotionally, or spiritually. This is when that scripture verse comes back to my mind. I know God has a plan for these women, and after speaking to them, all I can do is trust God and pray for them.
One specific story comes to mind of trusting God with our clients at the Care Center. This was the second time this client, Brianna*, was late. I was about to mark her as a “no show” when a rickety old car pulled up. When Brianna climbed out of the car, I could tell this was going to be a rough appointment. I could see the heartache all over her face.
As she stepped into the mobile unit, the air filled with cigarette smoke, and in my mind I was getting frustrated. All I kept thinking about was how late she was and how she was smelling up the entire mobile unit (I know, I needed to show her more grace). I smiled and checked her in, but as we started the appointment, my frustration only grew. She wouldn’t answer my questions and wouldn’t make eye contact with me. I knew something was wrong, but I was having the hardest time connecting with this woman.
Trusting When It’s Hard
Finally, God convicted my heart, and I knew I needed to show more compassion. At the Care Center, we believe no woman comes to us by accident. Brianna was here for a reason. As I dug deeper into the conversation, the truth came out. Brianna told me she was a drug addict. She had been under the influence, and was raped.
Oh, how my heart dropped.
This woman needed help and all I could think about was her lateness and the stench of smoke on her. Talk about a slap in the face.
I gave her referrals to places that help women going through drug addiction, and I made sure she had sought medical help after her incident. And then I had the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with her. I shared about how all people are separated from God by their sin, but that Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection paid the penalty for sin so that all who believe can have a relationship with God and the hope of an eternity in heaven. If there was anything that could have helped her that day, I knew it would be that.
To top it all off, her pregnancy test was positive. After talking to her about her result and her options, she was undecided on what her plans with the baby were. Our sonographer was working that day, and she was able to scan her and talk to her more about her options and risks. After the appointment, the Brianna left—still undecided and still empty inside.
It’s appointments like this that make me want to cry—and after Brianna left, I definitely did. I was devastated and heartbroken for this young woman. We’ve since reached out to her multiple times, but there have been no answers to our calls.
Trusting in His Plan
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. These are the moments when I cling to this scripture. When we’ve done all we can for a client—when we’ve given her free resources, services, a listening ear, and the message of the gospel—we must trust in the Lord. So often I don’t understand how God is working in a situation, but my understanding has limits—and God’s most definitely does not.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Day by day, with every woman I meet and every heartbreaking story I’m told, I will choose to trust in the one who knows us completely and loves us relentlessly.” quote=”Day by day, with every woman I meet and every heartbreaking story I’m told, I will choose to trust in the one who knows us completely and loves us relentlessly.”]
Day by day, with every woman I meet and every heartbreaking story I’m told, I will choose to trust in the one who knows us completely and loves us relentlessly. Each woman who steps through our doors is worthy of respect, compassion, and truth shared in love. And we are able to offer women these things because they have been offered to us through Jesus Christ.
We trust that God’s word is living and active. We trust that showing compassion will break down barriers. We trust that no appointment is random or by accident. We trust that God has a plan.
And that is enough.
*Client’s name has been changed.