A little redemption goes a long way

Today – a woman visited our church with her husband and child, someone I have history with and used to be a part of our community. I haven't seen her in years. The last time I saw her she was angry and hurting and asked me for counsel. My son was just an infant at the time and we sat in my living room while he slept. I read the bible to her and spoke what I felt to be what God would say to her. She did not like it and was not happy and told me she would divorce her husband anyway and that she disagreed with everything I'd read. She seemed very disappointed the bible didn't say what she hoped it would. She left miserable and angry.

Several months later she got in touch with me to say that she’d had a change of heart due to what we talked about and was moving to Korea to be with her husband who had left. This was shocking and amazing news! I wondered more what had happened but she was unable to find time to hook up before she left. I didn't hear from her for a couple years. I’ve always wondered what happened.

This past year she got in touch saying that they (she and her husband) were in Oregon now and had a baby and were doing well!!! I still hadn't gotten the whole story but was thrilled to hear the news and told her I'd love to see her someday.

Today...they came to Imago Dei and found my husband and I just to share with us what God had done in their marriage. Wouldn't you know it that my husband and another elder had met with him a few times back in those hard days they had too? I never even knew that (or maybe I've forgotten). So there we were in the hallway at the end of the day him telling my husband his story and she telling me hers. It was all I could do not to cry, to shed some tears of joy on their behalf.

She stood there looking like a completely different woman than the one who sat on my couch all those years ago. She was holding her adorable baby girl and sharing with me what God had done in her heart. Something only He can do. Nothing I could ever take any credit for. Just Him pursuing her, and she going home to be with her husband. And they - just so thankful for their daughter, and for each other, and for Christ.

This frames my week. I am ready. Bring it on - a little redemption goes a long way doesn't it? This is what we live for.