In my two months at Maggie’s Place, I have seen amazing things happen. My contact mom recently gave birth to her son and I was able to see the miracle of new life and a mother’s love. A few weeks ago, I saw moms cry as they read notes from people who had been praying for them consistently for over a month. On a day where our house was low on food and I was sitting in the kitchen desperately trying to manipulate our budget to cover all the groceries we needed, a generous couple showed up with every single item on my list. Babies have fallen asleep on my lap, moms’ physical pains have been healed, women addicted to drugs and alcohol have stayed sober, and I have trained dozens of new volunteers who are excited to serve our home.
Every day, I feel proud of the women at Maggie’s Place and the strides they have made toward self-sufficiency. While I have been here, our moms have advanced in school, enrolled in social programs, grown in personal relationships, created necessary boundaries in their life, and started to realize their own self-worth. As a season of transitions, our home has grown with new moms, babies, and Corps who each bring a new dynamic to the house. I have had deep, personal conversations with every mom and Corps in our house and have seen each person grow tremendously in the short 2 months I have been here.
As a MissionCorps, I am occasionally told by friends, family, and volunteers that I am making a great difference in the lives of our moms. With all the amazing things our moms have done and all the ways they have grown, it’s easy to make that connection. When I am told this, I usually nod my head and give a quick thanks. But what I really want to tell them: Nothing I have done while at Maggie’s Place has made a difference for one of our moms. Every good thing that has happened in our home has been because of Christ alone.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
When the Bible says “every,” it means “every.” Every difference that has been made in one of our moms’ lives, every conversation that has produced fruit, every service we provide and all the love that we give, comes not from us, but from Christ. He is the reason that Maggie’s Place, and any organization, is able to make a difference in the lives of men, women, and children.
Every good and glorious thing is from Him. As 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” When we choose to show love to one of our moms, we are actually choosing to follow God’s will and trust Him in our interactions with others. I am only able to love our moms, Corps, babies, and volunteers because He loved me first (1 John 4:19). Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
My life is messy. In our home, I sometimes say things that I shouldn’t and groan inwardly when things don’t go the way I want them to. I consistently forget to be thankful for the opportunities I have had, even when I am surrounded by people who were not able to have those same experiences. I am flawed, but God still loves me perfectly and loves others through me. I am just grateful that God chooses to use me as a vessel for His work to be done.
By April Hanks, a Summer Corps member
