Darnell’s Story- Forgiveness Changes Everything
I never dreamed that living in a homeless shelter would be a good thing, but it has changed my life forever.
Last year my husband and I brought our daughter from the Bahamas with the promise of a better life. Following all of the rules, we had our initial paperwork to come to America legally. Then we found an employer who recruited us and promised to help us complete the final paperwork leading to eventual citizenship for our family.
It seemed like it would be a perfect opportunity, but things crashed in a matter of months. The recruiter never fulfilled her commitment. I continually called her about completing the paperwork, but she never returned any of my calls. Then seasonal layoffs in the hospitality field came, and we were without income trying to survive in a new place. We felt stuck and abandoned.
We had been working hard, but without jobs, we were spending every dollar of our savings on hotels. Desperate and full of fear, I came to Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. I looked around, got scared, and returned to the hotel. I had no idea where we would go, so I started packing our things. I packed, then cried, then prayed – over and over.
The last day in the hotel, I returned to WCRM. Where else could I go? “It’s okay. You’ll be safe here,” were the first words one of the women’s ministry leaders said. Right then my hope began to be restored. There was a family room for me and my daughter, and my husband got a bed in the men’s shelter. We didn’t want to be separated, but it was necessary to help us get on our feet.
The most important thing that happened here was my encounter with forgiveness. Every week the Bible classes peeled away layers of my broken heart. I was growing emotionally and spiritually, but I realized I was stuck in unforgiveness toward my father. I carried a lot of pain from a time when my father let my mother down. She was a mature Christian, and somehow forgave him. I couldn’t.
Facing my unforgiveness was the key to my breakthrough! Unforgiveness crowded out blessings from my life. Unforgiveness quit speaking to others. It merely put aside issues and ignored them. It shrugged away conflict and ignored hurts. Unforgiveness stole my joy.
The leaders here helped me do the painful work of inner healing that I needed. They breathed new life into everything. All of my relationships improved, especially my relationship with my father. And it changed forever my relationship with myself. Forgiveness became my doorway to peace.
Our time here will soon end, but for now, I continue to grow. I even help with the Bible Studies. My heart is now able to fully receive God’s love and offer it to others. I am walking in God’s blessing, and He is changing my life for keeps.
