Have you heard the saying, “Go the extra mile, it is never crowded”?
A large part of my job is to craft the messaging that Refuge puts out into the world, so I pay close attention to every word that comes off my fingers. As you all have probably noticed, I am certainly not perfect at it, but I will keep trying to get it right.
Anyway, earlier this month when I was digging into the Lord’s word, I was reviewing the Sermon on the Mount and found a couple intentional words that seemed to leap off the page at me.
“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” Matthew 5:41
In my brain I always took this command from the Lord to be synonymous with what is plastered in corporate lunchrooms almost everywhere… “Go the extra mile!”
According to Miriam Websters dictionary, extra is defined as “more than is due, usual, or necessary” almost making it sound…well optional.
That’s not what Jesus said. He said not one but two. Double!
At Refuge, I have noticed this command being played out daily. Let me explain through the story of a recent client, who has been here for two pregnancies.
Anne first visited Refuge in 2020. That year, being the mess that it was set the stage for fear in all of us. Now imagine being a young woman during Covid, that is dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. She has no support system because she had recently moved away from her family to the Atlanta area in hopes of pursuing her dreams. The relationship that produced this pregnancy was not healthy and the man was not committed to her.
Anne entered our doors already determined that an abortion was her only way to fix what she thought was the problem. Anne told me that when she was here, she felt respected, not condemned. She stated that our staff and volunteers showed her care and compassion. We prayed with her and for her. Even though we loved on her and shared the Lord with her, she still chose abortion.
Now most people would think that an abortion would be the end of the story. No, it was just the beginning because…Jesus!
Fast forward to 2023. Anne was now in a stable, loving, and committed relationship. She discovered that she was pregnant for the second time. When the home test read positive, a wave of excitement and fear rolled over her at the same time. She was thrilled to be having a baby with the man she deeply loved, but what about before? Was there any damage to her uterus from the abortion? Would the baby be healthy?...and so many other questions hit her at once. Immediately she wanted to confirm that the pregnancy was viable! She began to contact OBGYN offices in the area to see if she could get in immediately. No one had any availability, and no office would make an exception to their schedule to get her in…despite the panic she felt. Then she remembered Refuge!
She recalled the compassion, the love, and the respect she was shown during her first visits at The Refuge Center. She called our center and was given an appointment for later that day. Anne recalled that when she hung up the phone she began to cry uncontrollably. When she arrived, Anne was greeted by the exact same Client Advocate that had spoken with her three years earlier. When she was given an ultrasound scan, that scan was performed by the exact technician from three years earlier. When I spoke with Anne about her experience here at Refuge, she noted that it was not a coincidence that the same sweet women that had shown her the love of Christ at her darkest moments were the ones who greeted her and helped her again. In Anne’s own words, “Everybody at this center is heaven sent! When I felt I had nowhere to go, you gave me Refuge. I was hopeless and you showed me His saving grace!” When someone asks us to go one mile with them, we will go two! It is not an option for us. You see, most of us here at Refuge have walked the first mile in Anne’s shoes. We have experienced the fear and uncertainty of an unexpected pregnancy, or we have experienced the loss of a pregnancy.
We know deep in our souls that the only way we were able to survive that dark valley was the love of Christ. So, no matter what the circumstance, or outcome, our desire is to walk softly, compassionately into the second mile with each woman that crosses our doorstep. That second mile is where they will see Jesus. It is where they find forgiveness and experience His healing.
While we are blessed to live this out in our ministry on a weekly basis, we are keenly aware that you dear friends, pave the road ahead of us. When you commit your time to pray for us, and your resources to support us, you make the second mile a little smoother and easier to walk. I want you to know that all of us, each staff member, board member, and volunteer all know that we could not do any of this without you. When you listen to the Holy Spirit leading you to support The Refuge Center...you don’t just save one life, you save two!
Find out more details about going the Second Mile for families HERE.
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