Coming from a private school to a public setting was initially a culture shock for me to say the least. But, I was still young, new to teaching, full of spunk, and had dreams of changing the world! Then, I was given a classroom of kids who, for the most part, were neglected, abused, or shockingly poor. Their lifestyles and appreciation for education were vastly different from what I had previously witnessed. I had to ask myself, “Do these kids even have a chance in life?” “Yes, yes they do,” I quickly decided.
That year, I had the privilege to teach a special young lady. I’ll never forget her angelic little face (especially that smile), her compassionate ways, or her resilience. I had been told by other teachers that she was a foster child. She had a younger brother with a walking disability that she was committed to checking in on throughout the school day. I have to be honest. I wanted to adopt them both. I went as far as talking to my husband about it.
Unfortunately, in a few days, this young lady came into class and announced that she was going to be leaving our school because she was being adopted! She proudly reported what her new last name was going to be. There was excitement in her eyes. I wanted to be happy for her, but my heart ached. I didn’t want to lose her. There was definitely something different about this child…I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
Years passed and I couldn’t get this young lady off of my mind. I prayed for her regularly. I wondered whatever became of her. I asked other teachers if they knew where she had moved to or if they had heard from her. Nothing. Recently, after my retirement, I decided to reach out on social media to try to find the young lady that I still couldn’t get off of my mind after all these years.
Within a week, I was reconnected with my former student! I shared with her how I couldn’t get her off of my mind and that I had prayed for her throughout the years. I posted classroom pictures that I had taken of her. She replied, “Wow!!! I’m in tears! How amazing this is! I only have a couple of pictures of myself and these are so amazing to have!” She continued, “God has truly taken care of me and I’m positive your prayers were heard!
This is her story. By the time she had come into my classroom, she had been in three different foster homes. In two of those homes, she became their servant. Once she was adopted and moved to another county, she lived in a home with her parents, her younger brother, and an older brother that I hadn’t known about.
My heart feels like it is beating in my throat as I detail for you the pain that this child and her siblings endured. From the age of nine until the age of twenty-one this precious young lady was sexually molested by her adopted father. Not only that, but her younger brother was also for a few months until their older brother intervened on his behalf to stop it. She didn’t tell anyone because she felt trapped in so much fear and control. She knew her father was physically abusive and she didn’t want anything bad to happen.
After I processed this information, I wanted her to know that I could tell she had a good heart even back in third grade. I wanted her to be assured that none of the abuse was her fault. Not to bring attention to myself, but to emphasize the point, I told her the last words she had said to me, “I want to be a Christ Lady like you.” She remarked that she had in fact accepted Christ as Savior when she was nine years old! I was surprised that her father would let her go to church being the abusive person he was to his family. Imagine my shock when she explained that both her father and mother served in the church!
She said, “You know what’s crazy about you talking to me about all of this again…A few months ago, God spoke to me and said that this year would be the year for supernatural healing for me. He told me to write everything down. Every moment that he would bring to me and moments of healing. Then, she exclaimed, “God is so good!”
I assured her that even though Satan had abused her body, he couldn’t touch her soul! She stated, “God has literally carried me through it all! I’m not living broken, but stronger!”
You might wonder how this young lady could be so adamant about God’s provision. If you met her today, you would see how God has had his hand upon her and led her through all of the hardships of life to a victorious adult life. Because she put her faith in God at a young age, he carried her through all of Satan’s snares and today she lives a life of immeasurable joy. She and her husband, who she met in college, have planted a church in Kentucky! They have two children who are being raised in the love and knowledge of God. Therefore, the cycle of abuse in her life has been broken! Now, she is able to minister to others who are going through the same things that she did. Indeed, God is so good!
We all are on a battlefield. Our lives take us through many different wars. Satan is real. He uses other people to hurt us. But praise be to God, he carries us safely through it all and stands with us while we wave the flag of victory!
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3
