(Giving Thanks in All Things Continued)
M
arie was 23 when she got
married. Shortly after, Noah
arrived. Three years later another son,
Bruce, was born followed by Leah, 2
years later. Life seemed solid. Then
at 28 she went through a divorce. Left
to raise her three children alone, the
harsh realities of single-motherhood
began to set in. She had been involved
in church, but consistency seemed
elusive and it was critical to Marie that
church be a place for her kids as much
as for herself.
She attended New
Life intermittently
from 2000 on. In
2008 she decided
to visit again and
while visiting Guest
Central, she was encouraged to meet
with Suzi Philips, one of our Women’s
Pastors. Pastor Brady then warmly
met her and after she picked up her
kids she said, “The childcare staff was
so helpful and friendly and my kids had
such a great time. I felt even more at
home.”
She met with Pastor Suzi and later
developed a friendship with Christina
Leal, Pastor of Widows and Single
Moms, while attending Women’s
Discipleship. After a few months Marie
experienced breakthrough and felt
that she had entered
Life seemed solid.
into a new season,
Then at 28 she went
spiritually. She knew
through a divorce. Left to
that after receiving
raise her three children
freely from the
alone, the harsh realities
church, she wanted
of single-motherhood
to teach her kids how
began to set in.
to give as well as receive.
During the Thanksgiving Basket
Outreach Marie said, “We’ve been so
blessed over the years. As a single mom
it’s really hard to make ends meet and
the blessings that come throughout
the year have been amazing. I want to
teach my kids that it’s not only good to
receive blessing, but to give back and
I don’t want to just tell them, I want
to show them. So since we don’t have
much to give beyond our time, I want
to give our time.”
We often hear about the childhood
wounds that motivate us to act out
or in self-defense, but what about the
transformation of those wounds into
motivation to serve others? What
about turning those experiences,
which have been difficult or painful,
Christ followers. In fact, the word
“Christian” originally meant “little
Christ.” In the Abrahamic Covenant,
God essentially tells Abraham, “I will
bless you so that you can be a blessing
to others.”
into the very fuel that burns in us
to serve our fellow man? In Henri
J.M. Nouwen’s book, “The Wounded
Healer,” he explains Christ as our
model for this very idea.
Jesus, says Nouwen, was wounded
for us, was beaten for us and lived a
life of service for us, knowing what
he would ultimately endure, and
what that endurance would purchase.
Jesus served us specifically out of his
woundedness, in some ways it was His
service to us that drove Him to endure
those wounds.
We are called to be like Jesus. We are
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NEW LIFE MAGAZINE: February 2014
kindness and ministry. It’s another
thing entirely to see them take those
next steps to be a blessing to others
precisely because they understand the
plight of the vulnerable. This is F