Dale C. Broome
~A Voice for the Voiceless~
Encouragement
TO MOTHERS:
Mothers, especially single mothers, are you smiling on the outside, but dying on the inside? Are you ready to give up? Are you tossing and turning at night wondering what to do, or how to make it out of a bad situation? Do you think nobody understands what you are going through? Does it look like nobody cares? Please know that:
- You are not alone.
- Your situation WILL get better!
- It may not seem like it right now, but I promise you, it will if you submit it completely to God.
- Right where you are--just cry out to Him from the depths of your heart.
- Tell Him your hurts, your pain, your disappointments, your frustrations--tell it ALL to Him!
- Your Heavenly Daddy cares!
- He will meet you right where you are.
The bible states in Isaiah 65:24, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear" (NIV). The New Living Translation goes a little further—“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!”
That’s an awesome promise, don’t you think? That assures me that there is hope. It may not seem like it right now, especially if you are at your wits end with a disobedient, rebellious, teenage or adult child, who seemingly wants to bring nothing but shame and embarrassment, but I promise you that prayer does work, and your circumstances WILL get better. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy does come in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
So, what are you waiting for? Start praying!
TO THE YOUTH:
Young people, regardless of your struggles, I want to tell you that God is BIGGER than your situation. He is bigger than your problems. Regardless of how hopeless life may appear right now:
- DON'T give up!
- Don't throw in the towel!
- Do NOT raise your white flag of surrender!
- Drugs is NOT the answer!
- Violence is NOT the answer!
- Suicide is NOT an option!
- God and God alone is the answer.
- There is NOTHING too big for him.
In Psalm 91: 14-16, the LORD says in verse 14: “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."
Moreover, Matthew 19:26 states--"With man, this is impossible, but with God, ALL things are possible." That tells me that your situation is also included. So...right where you are--just cry out to Him. He loves you so much!
Finally, 1 Peter 5:7 states—“Casting ALL your cares on Him, for He cares for you.”
STORIES TO ENCOURAGE YOU:
From Homeless to Harvard: Liz Murray’s Resilience in Tough and Troubled Times:
Liz Murray overcame tremendous odds as she transformed herself from a homeless teen to a Harvard graduate. Read her story by clicking on the below link.
From Gang Member to World Changer:
“The one thing that changed me is one person showed me – this horrible gang member, locked away from society who everyone pointed at and said he was never going to change but did – was one person showed me love, an emotion that had been eluded from my life for so long. That emotion of love was so powerful because it brought happiness into my heart and it changed everything … I realized I wanted to dedicate my heart and soul to changing the world.” ~21-year-old James Anderson~
This is an amazing story of how a former teen gang member started a new life thanks to the love of one man -- Scott Budnick, the producer of the Hangover movies. Click on the link below for his story.
Up From the Depths: Juvenile Offenders Who Turned Their Lives Around:
From the Daily Bread
“Embarrassing Moments.”
This article was written by Bill Crowder, and starts with the flashing lights of the police car which drew his attention to a motorist who had been pulled over for a traffic violation. The driver was so embarrassed that she attempted to block her face from the view of passersby—hoping to hide her identity (sounds like exactly what is done on TV). The writer goes on to say that this was a reminder to him of how embarrassing it can be when we are exposed by our choices and their consequences.
He equates this to the guilty woman who was brought before Jesus and her immorality was exposed. The crowd did more than watch, they called for her condemnation, BUT, Jesus showed mercy. He responded to her failure with compassion. He goes on to say that after dispatching her accusers, Jesus said to her—“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11).
The writer continues—“His [God’s] compassion reminds us of His forgiving grace, and His command to her points to His great desire that we live in the joy of that grace. Both elements show the depth of Christ’s
concern for us when we stumble and fall. Even in our most embarrassing moments of failure, we can cry out to Him and find that His grace is truly AMAZING.” Read John 8:1-11
The Promise: You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. ~Phillipians 4:13~
If you have an encouraging story or testimony to share, write me at:
Dale C. Broome
PO BOX 11481
Wilmington, DE 19850
