Fresh Starts

Every quarter I go up, with some other ladies, to a very special place in Martin, Georgia called New Beginnings.  You can read all about here if you like.  It's an amazing place with amazing staff and women who are trying to do life better.  They are trying to overcome a past that many of can't imagine.  They are pretty much heroes to me.

So when I read this today, it hit home. Well, it hit to New Beginnings.  I'm working through a Bible study on Ruth by Kelly Minter.  This is what she writes (pg. 19):

"For the past few months I taught a Wednesday night Bible study for some fabulous women from The Next Door ministry in downtown Nashville.  This ministry assist its residents who have recently been released from prison and helps them successfully transition back into free society.  Each woman agrees to live on its premises for six months, participate in counseling, attend a weekly Bible study, work a solid job, address her addictions and assume other responsibilities.  As you can imagine, it's a spicy group where raw is in and sugarcoated is most definitely out.  They need all of their energy for survival, so there's not a lot left over for religious affectation.  Their honesty and vulnerability is what I love so much about these women, mostly because when God hits their lives, it's the real deal.  You can't fake transformation in shoes like theirs.

These girls are some of the most courageous women I know, forging ahead on a journey that will take them back to the place from which they came - the outside world.  Many seek to return to family, distant homes, past careers, and dear friends.  They hope for fresh starts and new lives, all of them convinced that success is only possible if they return changed.  Going back the same person is not an option."

I wish I could have articulated my thoughts about New Beginnings as well as Kelly did.  The women there are indeed a spicy group and there is not one single drop of sugar coating.  But you know what?  It's kind of refreshing.  I could tell a hundred stories about our visits but the one I love best occurred last Christmas.  Our team was there to have dessert with the ladies and present each of them with a Christmas gift.  The gift consisted of several items with one very special one - a hand knit scarf made by one of the team members or one of our church members. This was a group of about  90 women including staff so yes, hand clap for the knitters.  Anyway, we prayed before we left that each scarf would bless the woman in a very special way who was to receive it.   So as I presented one woman with a teal scarf, she literally squealed.  I thought we, er God,  must have done something right so I asked her what in the world brought that reaction.  She looked at me with bright eyes, whirled around, pulled down the waistband of her jeans in the back and said "teal is my absolute favorite color.  All of my tattoos are teal! See here ... (imagine a bright teal tattoo right above her back side)."  Now if that's being real I don't know what is! 

"Going back the same person is not an option."  If we know Jesus, going back to the person we were before is just not an option.  2 Corinthians 5:17 comes to mind:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come."  (NAS) Praise Jesus!