Overcoming Love

A missionary's experience of being transformed by the love of the Father and seeing the same happen in juvenile offenders in America and African orphans and street children.

Engage yourself in social work or missionary work and you're sure to come into close contact with a myriad of some of life's most traumatic problems and the brokenness left in their wake. Since the time I became a Christian, in 1992, the Lord called me to work with people battered by life's storms.

One reason He chose me for this work, I believe, is because from an early age I was personally subject to abuse in many forms, by various people, that left me broken. This led me to either question the existence of God and/or become very angry with Him by my early 20's. But, as He does so well, He relentlessly sought after me to reveal His Fatherly love and let me know who was really behind the abuses I'd suffered. He did this in many of His wonderful ways, such as miraculously preserving my life in a car accident and often sending His people into my life to tell me about Him and His love. Once I realized that we live in a sin-cursed earth and have very real enemies, that being the devil and other fallen angels, I realized who was responsible for the abuses I'd suffered. The Father actually loved me so much that He sent His only Son to die for my sins so that I could be with Him forever. He was, in fact, very concerned about the abuses that had happened to me and has been healing me ever since through the power of what His son, Jesus, accomplished on the cross. In so many ways He has restored me and turned what the devil meant for harm into good, to help other broken people receive healing through the power of His love and Truth.

Since 1994 I've worked with juvenile offenders in America and orphans/street children in Africa. While I was working with Iris Ministries in South Africa I had a wonderful, supernatural experience of the love of the Father. As a teacher at our Harvest Bible College, I was participating in one of our graduation ceremonies after a 2-week class session. These were always times of powerful Spirit-filled prayer after handing out certificates to the students. During one of those times, in 2010, I received prayer from our school director who had encountered the Father's love in a remarkable way in Canada some years prior. About 20 minutes after his prayer, I found myself suddenly immersed in the Father's love in a tangible, beautiful, life-changing way. The love & security I felt was unlike anything I'd ever known before as He told me that I belong to Him. I was undone for several minutes until I needed to speak with students again, and I've never been the same. His love is ever-present, everlasting and unconditional. It transcends all earthly pleasures and problems.

Both before and after that experience I've seen the power of His love transform troubled lives. From lives such as incarcerated juvenile offenders who were in a downward spiral to children in Africa who had literally lived on the streets for years. Once these juveniles and street children learned that there is a heaveny Father who loves them immensely, and they experience that love, they start to live free from drug use, addictions, crime, self-destruction and start to walk in the truth of who they are created to be.

It is available to everyone. There is a heavenly Father whose love is real and powerful enough to overcome every bit of darkness that creeps into our lives in this fallen world. It is our true home and where we'll find what we're looking for – the love we need to give us the peace and fulfillment we need. “Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!” Psalm 90:1 NLT

Follow my blog for speific stories of what Father God is doing in Kenya to change the lives of once abandoned children. 

 

To contribute to the work in Kenya tax-deductible donations may be sent to:

Sheltering Wings

P.O. Box 29565

St. Louis, MO 63126