Reunion
This weekend I had an amazing reunion with a girl I have known since she was five years old. Reunions aren't that uncommon in my line of work – but this one was unique and very special. Eight years ago I remember a little girl getting off the van. It was her first day ever at Bible club and her mom had let her come with a neighbor friend. She was a little tiny thing with pig-tails and bows. As I watched her play in our dirt side-lot years ago I had no idea that our paths would become so entwined. I hadn't the slightest clue that this girl would become nothing less than family.
Through the following months God clearly led me to invest in Lisa's family and I began to slowly build a relationship with her mom, dad and younger brothers. I stepped into a family system of extreme dysfunction, violence, deception and yes – love. For the next few years I was on hand to celebrate birthdays and also late at night when I would get a call that Lisa's mom had been beat up again. As the years slid by their little apartment on the corner experienced more heartache and terror than I ever care to write about. I continually called social workers, police and even broke up one of their many, many fights by getting in between Lisa's mom and dad as they were drunkedly throwing punches at each other. Lisa eventually came and lived with us for a short time until her mom decided she was able to take her again. Adam and I would have kept her forever.
And from there the family's semblance of existence just unraveled into homelessness, alcoholism, jail, escalated violence and treatment centers. Lisa's mom harbored an intense anger towards me for all the times I tried to intervene and I didn't see the kids for months and months. For awhile I didn't even know where they were.
And then my phone rang – it was Lisa. Asking me “What's up A.B.?” like no time had passed. Lisa is living with her aunt and uncle – her brothers are with her too. They have food in their fridge and clean clothes to put on each day. There are no more violent fights or drug induced rages.
Seeing Lisa's face was nothing less than a joy. She's a quirky teenager who talks about cute boys and plays volleyball. She got a special academic pin for her good grades and loves to listen to the radio – just like all the other girls in her class.
As I left that afternoon to return to the neighborhood – the same place where her life started 13 years ago, I was so aware that God is real. Who else could have preserved this little girl?
Is it a miracle? Yes – of the grandest sort. Is the story done? I'm sure not, there's a lot of healing to be done. But I'm confident that 8 years ago Lisa climbed onto the church van for a reason. God is faithful – He always finishes His work.
***join us here for new updates and stories from the neighborhood***
Rev. Amy Beth "A.B." Augustin Barlow
The Third Story, Inc.
(All names and identifying details have been changed to protect anonymity. All pictures are randomly chosen from our ministry and do not reflect the actual individuals in the story.)