My friend, Becky’s story:

         “A wrong turn down a 25 mile dirt road on our way to a secluded national park left me and my kids alone in the middle of the desert, miles from any signs of life. What was Lola (my GPS) thinking? She tried to get us back on track, but suddenly I was faced with crossing a dry river bed to continue on the dirt road on the other side. I'm adventurous, have four-wheel drive and it was only about a hundred yards across, so why not? Besides, there was no easy way to turn around and go back the other way on the rutted road.

         Halfway through, I realized I made a terrible mistake. The car was slogging through two feet of dry sand, gradually slowing down. If the car stopped, we would never gain enough momentum to get going again. My kids and I frequently travel alone and I've never been fearful, but this time I was afraid. I desperately pleaded with God to give us enough momentum to keep the wheels turning and get to the other side. He graciously granted my petition and we made it across and continued on our way.

          This experience reminded me of another woman stuck in a desert 4,000 years ago. Hagar was a young woman in desperate circumstances not of her own choosing. She ran away and found herself scared and alone by a spring in the desert.

         BUT GOD... met her in that place. He comforted her with words conveying these thoughts:

"I see you. I know how you got here and I know where you're going. I care about you and I have a plan for you."

After he told her what to do, Hagar gave him a new name because she had experienced him in a new way:  

El Roi...the God who sees me.

There is a new generation of women in our churches who are walking alone in their faith journey and need to know there is a God who sees them and loves them. They need to know their church loves them and values them and that there is a place for them in the body of Christ. They need to know that, even though their family may not look like a traditional two-parent church-going family, there is a place for them to connect and build community and grow in their spiritual walk. They need support and mentoring to learn how to gracefully navigate the desperate trials they are facing.

May El Roi, the God who sees, give you His eyes to see those who are hurting so you can encourage them this week.”


         What I admire about Becky is she didn’t stay stuck in the desert. She did something about it. She started a ministry at her church for women walking their faith out alone. Now she no longer walks alone, but is building a community to encourage each other as they walk out their faith.

You can find her ministry at www.facebook.com/womenwalkingingrace  

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult or uncomfortable
place in life?

Has God used it for good in your life?

Has it changed you?

To read all the 31 Days of Change stories, click here to access the whole list.

        Everyone else was practicing their typing skills. Hands on the home row, typing    A S D F G . . . H J K L ;. Todd was sitting in the back of the class trying to flirt with the pretty blonde next to him. Actually, he wasn’t flirting, he was being crude. He was telling her things he would like to do with her. Basically, he was being a jerk.

         Overhearing Todd’s comments, a football player, named Bill Hill, sitting in front of him, turned around,

         “Todd, you need Jesus. Do you want me to tell you how you can become a Christian?” he asked.

         Surprised by his boldness, Todd immediately replied,
                          
                           “I don’t need that. I already am a Christian.”

         Then Bill Hill said something that rocked Todd’s world.

                           “Then why don’t you act like it?”

         The truth was Todd grew up going to church. He was there every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. He did not pay much attention to the preaching. He mostly sat in the back playing hangman and goofing off with his friends. He thought that was enough to put him in the category of being called a Christian.

         That day he went home from school and asked his Mom for a Bible. That rocked his Mom’s world! He began reading the book of John. When he reached John chapter 14, he read:

Verse 15 – “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.”


Verse 21 -- “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to him.”


Verse 23 – “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.”

         Todd got on his knees in his room and gave his life 100% to Christ.

         Some time after that a good friend of Todd’s was killed in a car accident. Todd realized in all the hours he spent with his friend they talked about everything in life . . . except God. He sat in the funeral service wondering if he would see his friend in heaven or not.

         Todd made a commitment to always tell everyone he knew about God’s love and forgiveness. At 15 years old he committed his life to God and said he would do whatever God wanted him to do with his life.
      
         Today Todd pastors a large church in Albuquerque. His heart is to share God’s love and forgiveness with the city and the state. He is a gifted communicator, passionate about sharing the love of Christ, because he knows “there really is a heaven and there really is a hell, and people are going to spend eternity in one place or the other.”

         He is honest about his flaws and people relate to his humor and authenticity. What people say most often about Todd’s preaching is they feel like he is talking directly to them, as if they are the only one in the room, and he knows their situation personally.

     Perhaps that is because God spoke directly and personally to Todd, through John chapter 14, and miraculously CHANGED his life.
 
      **If you would like to hear teachings from Todd, you can find him at      www.sagebrush.cc.**


     How about you? Have you had an encounter with God that changed your life? We would love to hear it!  

 
 To read all the 31 Days of Change stories, click here to access the whole list.