She Speaks of God's Faithfulness

A young girl listened to her friends gasp as they walked into the front door of her home. Several pairs of oversized eyes absorbed the scandalous rooms. Finally, one of her friends whispered, “I’ve never seen a house like this before!”

Eyebrows knit together, the girl who lived in the house struggled to understand. Surrounded by filth and chaos most of her life, she failed to see the unfit conditions which surrounded her. But she understood and detested the hot shame rising in her cheeks.

When the girl turned fifteen, she moved to a new city with her mom and two younger siblings. Her parent’s divorce three years earlier left her feeling confused and relieved all at once. There were no more bloody fights between her mom and dad, no more cries from her four younger siblings when the name-calling grew unbearable, no more slamming doors. Yet a ferocious new enemy reared its head: a raw ache in the pit of her stomach that left her feeling light-headed and tired. This unwelcome foe taunted her brother and sister as well, and finally she decided she’d had enough.

Gathering her courage late one Friday evening, she pulled out the Yellow Pages and dialed the local bar that where her mother and other druggies hung out. She involuntarily shuddered when the manager handed her mom the telephone.

Seething anger erupted out of the earpiece. “What are you doing calling me here?”

“Mom, we’re hungry. We haven’t eaten in two days,” she pleaded, glancing into the living room where her little brother and sister played on the carpet.

Her mom’s voice rose to a wild pitch. “Then fix something to eat!”

“Mom, there isn’t anything to fix. The only food in the entire house is a half a bag of flour. I can’t fix dinner with only a half a bag of flour!”

Silence.

“Hello? Mom?” A dial tone told the girl their brief conversation was over.

An hour later, relief washed over her at the sound of keys in the front door. Sure enough, a brown paper sack was nestled in her mom’s arms. Food!

Jumping up to help with the groceries, the girl stopped in her tracks. Her mom’s eyes held a fierce gleam that she knew all too well.

“This” her mom held up a gallon of milk, “is for you!” When the teen reached out to grab the milk jug, the enraged woman threw it right past her. Precious white liquid exploded all over the vinyl floor. “And so are these!” She tossed the bag of groceries onto the floor. A can of corn rolled silently into the center of the white puddle.

Her brother and sister began to cry.

The young girl began to shake. “What are you doing?”

Her mom’s voice dropped to an eerie whisper. “How dare you call me while I’m out.”

“But mom, we're starving!” She protested.

“Don’t you call me mom. Don’t ever call me mom again!”

Sobs deep, deep within the girl erupted, though she valiantly attempted to thwart them.

Mercilessly, her mom opened a small black purse, unzipped her wallet, and began counting out cash. Hundred dollar bills fanned out in the woman’s hands. Five of them.

Confusion set it. The teen wiped her cheeks, wondering why the refrigerator remained empty when her mom had access to so much money. She’d never seen a single one hundred dollar bill, let alone five. The younger children, eyes darting back and forth, whimpered softly.

“From now on,” her mother’s voice oozed hatred, “you are no longer a member of this family.”

Stunned, the girl’s heart pounded.

Tossing the money on the floor with an air of disdain, her mom continued. “You are now a boarder here, and you will pay me rent every month.” In a whirlwind of disgust, she stormed out the front door.

The girl, of course, is me. The synopsis you just read is true, and reveals just a snippet of the pain from which God has healed me completely. I understand Psalm 27:10 “Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].” (Amplified Bible)

Like Joseph I can truly say “The enemy intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.” (See Genesis 50:20) My heart is to faithfully encourage, equip, and strengthen women with the power of God’s word, as He has faithfully done for me.


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