"When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plenitful, but the workers are few.'" Matthew 9:36-37

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Usually we write about stories we have heard from HopeCoaches but when this HopeCoach emailed these comments on a call he had Sunday night I knew I couldn't phrase it any better. Here it is straight from the HopeCoach:

"...It was likely the very best call I have ever taken since working at the call center. For me it was a great call because it left me holding my head in my hands, weeping quietly for what seemed like a long time. I do not remember ever taking a call that moved me so deeply.

The girl was around eighteen years old, had a vibrant dynamic relationship with Lord while attending a Christian high school, but fell away and found herself addicted to drugs and watching her world crumble around her. She could not understand why everything she touched toppled like a house of cards while the people around doing wickedness seemed to prosper.

She told me in the very beginning of the call that she was numb, that she did not feel anything, and that it had been a long time since she had even cried. Ten or more minutes into our conversation she began to weep off and on, eventually turning to a constant flow of tearfulness and sobbing. It was apparent that her lack of emotion was due to some trauma that she was protecting herself from and later in the conversation I “felt” strongly that the trauma was due to the fact that she was holding a grudge against God. She felt that God had let her down by not protecting her from the drugs and there were some terrible things that happened to members of her family. I explained to her about how many times we hold grudges against people because we perceive they did something against us and as she prayed and forgave God for the perceived offenses and subsequently put her life back on God’s altar (Romans 12:1), I watched this numb, unemotional, troubled, young lady move from coldness, to brokenness, to peacefulness. When I was through praying with her, she commented that she felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her chest. Before we hung up, I told her “In case no one has told you yet today, let me be the first to tell you that I love you.” She broke down and started crying again.

In writing this, I still feel the depth of emotion that overcame me early this morning, leaving me humbled, and with my head in my hands.

I count myself fortunate to be involved with you, the Hopeline, and all the other hope coaches who continue to demonstrate such a great heart for the people whom God loved to such a great degree that He laid down the life of His only, one of a kind, Son to redeem us to Himself."

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