All it Needs is a Fresh Coat of Paint

I have a story for you:

This past weekend I went on a women's retreat with my church. As the evening was ending, a woman came up to me and my friend to introduce herself. She started telling us her story. Her and her husband (of 23 years) have four biological daughters and were in the process of adopting four foster children when her husband left. He sent the four foster children away and left. She is now in the process of moving back to where she grew up (our town) bringing three of her daughters with her. She has very little money and no job. She is renting a duplex that is owned by a family in our church.

I thought about her for the rest of the night and about how I could help. The next morning we had a guest speaker who has started some incredible ministries at our church. She talked about her experience and that sometimes we just need to put ourselves out there and make a big leap for God.

I love serving and volunteering, but I have never been one to start anything. I always think that others can do amazing things, big things, and that yes I can help, but I could never do anything that big. During the prayer time that followed the speaker, I felt God telling me to go back to this woman and ask how I can help. She is moving her family to a new place, a strange home. I know what it is like to move into a home that’s not really yours and how overwhelming it can be. The whole time God was speaking to me, I kept trying to tell him, no there’s nothing I can do so just stop. But, being God, he didn’t stop, but instead filled me with the spirit and sent me to her. I gave her my phone number and to her that I love to be crafty and that my husband is handy and we’d love to help make your new apartment a home for your girls. She pulled me aside after the retreat and said that she had been thinking about the walls of the duplex and how ugly they are. She wants nothing more than to paint them for her girls, but she doesn’t know how since she moves in a week. She has been trying to find someone who can paint the duplex before they move in, and she asked me if I knew anyone who knew anything about paint.

“My husband is the manager of the paint department at Ace Hardware. He knows a thing or two,” I told her. We both started crying. Knowing that it would be a far reach, she asked if we could help paint or if we even had time. Without really thinking I told her we could do it.

My incredible husband was completely on board and since Saturday we got the key to the duplex, signed up our small group to help, have some donated supplies to use, and have been contacted by a woman who would like to sew curtains for the girls rooms.

God is so good!

I am meeting with her this morning to pick paint colors. And then we will go to work!

I want nothing more than for her and her girls to open the door on Saturday to a welcoming home. I know it won’t be home right away, but I pray they can at least be hopeful.

Please pray for our week and the volunteers. It’s a big job, but we serve a big God!!