Psalms 145:18-20 NKJV) The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. {19} He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. {20} The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
I am doing my senior practicum at Catholic Charities of Tulsa, but more specifically at the Madonna House. The Madonna House is a long-term residential program for pregnant women over 18 years of age who are in a crisis pregnancy situation. Most of the residents in the home were either homeless at one point, incarcerated, in an abusive relationship, or struggling with substance abuse. I am learning so much. I work with the same 6 residents every day, and will continue to provide case management for the next couple of months. My heart is at the Madonna House and for the young women in the program. The world of social work and social services is still new to me. Even though, it is my career choice, I still have much to learn. My heart breaks for the young women as I find out their past and all the hurt that they have been through. I want to reach out and help them in every way I can. I want to be their hero and embrace them enough to where hurt and fear can no longer reside. Why did they end up at the Madonna House? What led them here and why did life have to deal them such a bad card? Many of the past and present residents at the Madonna House had various people in their life do something against their will or even intentionally, which then led one bad thing after the next to occur. The Madonna House is a wonderful facility in place to heal and nurture hurting women. It is an extensive program that has a heart to empower women to reach their full potential regardless of their past. My heart breaks, though, because of the need for such a program. Nonetheless, what I am realizing, is the fact that John 16:33 is a faithful scripture from the Lord, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” The Lord hears the cries of His people. We are going to experience trials and dark times in life, because of the sinful world that we live it. We do not have to let those circumstances defeat us, though! For the Lord delivers us out of them all! There is a quote that I once heard that says, “Peace is not the absence of problems, but the presence of God in the midst of your problems.” Even though, it is still hard for me to hear the hurt and see the pain the resident’s eyes at the Madonna House, I know that the Lord is with them. The Lord knows their past and knows of each sin they have committed. “And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” –Romans 5:8. Even in the midst of our “junk”, Christ took out the time to sacrifice His life so that we could be reconciled back to the Father. I am no different from the residents that I serve. The Lord favors none. What I can be rest assured in, is the fact that Lord knows the cry of all our hearts. He is right beside us walking through every season of our lives. Be encouraged in that.
-Crystal Joy “CJ” Johnson-Bryant
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