Grace and Greetings H.O.M.E. Family!

How many of us have tossed and turned in the middle of the night with our thoughts going 100 miles per hour thinking about the many possible outcomes that haven’t yet happened? 

Sometimes, all we need is a ray of light to remind us that things will be alright!  Last week I stood at the murky lake gazing at the gray clouds that completely covered the morning sky.  I closed my eyes, said a prayer, and looked up again towards the dark thick haze.  Suddenly, the splendor of that very moment became my muse for penning this message.  I couldn’t remember seeing any sunlight before; or perhaps I just didn’t notice.  But, there it was, a ray of glimmering light piercing through darkness.  Standing boldly in the center of one small opening within the thick billowing rain clouds was this welcomed and glorious greeting—and another sweet reason to smile.

You see, over the course of four days last week, H.O.M.E. experienced two hard financial hits.  First, we received news that the cost of our wholesale mattress sets had increased by an additional $25 per set.  Then, three days later, I received a call from the new property owners of our warehouse stating that our monthly lease payment would more than double—rising to an additional $770 per month with a five-year term agreement.  If my faith is in our bank account I’m absolutely certain we can’t afford this major spike in our post COVID-19 budget—I am, however, convinced that we must continue to walk by faith and not by sight. So, on this particular day while communing with God amid the morning gloom, I sought His face concerning the H.O.M.E. matters at hand.  What He revealed to me through a peaceful ray of sun was wisdom that signified, ‘no matter how dense the darkness—the light will always break through if we dare to look up in every bleak situation and unexpected circumstance.’

When is the last time you remember seeing a ray of light at a pivotal moment in your career, business, ministry, family?  It’s this very hope that helps us comprehend the fact that we’ll never walk in darkness as long as we’re looking towards the light.  It’s the light that illuminates our path; the light that turns darkness into day; it’s the light that guides and gives us clarity; the light warms our physical bodies and soothes our troubled minds.  Today, I want to encourage you to keep looking towards the lighthouse.  God has already secured your key of trust that will activate your faith.  And when skies are at their greyest faith will, eventually, show itself faithful.

As always… lovingly and graciously yours,
 

Carolyn A. Watson

 

 

Pearl of the Quarter

“It’s okay if I'm not okay…” are the insightful words spoken by single mother, Sarah McKay, who was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Growing up in what she describes an ‘All-American Family,’ Sarah recalls the fun-filled days with her siblings which often included summer trips to exciting destinations, playing sports and enjoying all the benefits of an upper class upbringing.  Sarah’s Dad was a lawyer who worked a lot and her Mother was a very present influence in her life.  Having all the benefits and privileges that many children are not afforded made Sarah feel grateful—but also gave her a sense of not belonging as she tried desperately to figure out just where to find her life’s purpose.  “I wanted to be accepted and fit in,” Sarah explained.  “I just wanted to be happy…” she continued.

By the time Sarah was eighteen she began experimenting with drugs, which eventually became the gateway to heavy addiction.  “I felt lost and didn’t know who I was,” she stated.  Sarah candidly described her journey and bouts of trying to stay clean.  After a five-year stretch of being off drugs and having her handsome son Andre, she later returned to using when a dental procedure caused her to relapse and begin to abuse the use of pain medication. “I didn’t have a foundation with God… depression and addiction doesn’t discriminate,” she expressed.  At the height of Sarah’s addiction, while she and her son’s father lived with his parents, Sarah began to steal prescription medication from his parents.  She has since rebuilt her relationship with them and they are an important part of her life and healing.

Sarah finally checked into Mary Hall where she spent six months in recovery and six months in a sober living facility.  She’s been clean for almost four years with support of a wonderful sponsor, Ms. Barber Parker, who is also a former H.O.M.E. client.  Andre, her intelligent ten-year-old, describes Sarah as a “good mom who gets better day by day, year after year.”  When we asked Sarah how it feels to have furniture in her once empty apartment she sweetly smiled and said, “I’m 36-years-old and I’ve never even had a living room set—when I walk in my home I can breathe.”  This is the kind of tangible love that H.O.M.E. is committed to extending to families in need.  As our interview came to a close, we too, smiled as Sarah played and sang her favorite song entitled:  "My Jesus" by Anne Wilson.  Take a listen... MY JESUS!!

On Behalf of
The H.O.M.E. Team
Congratulations 
Sarah McKay
for Being Our Pearl of the Quarter