Rosie takes a puff from her cigarette and gently releases the smoke into the air. She then continues reading from Our Daily Bread. Another woman reads a Scripture passage the devotional has brought to mind. She, too, takes a drag on her cigarette. Others mingle and join in as these ladies begin to pray for each other. One prays that her son will have a change of heart before he is released from prison. Another prays for her roommate who has been sick. One woman thinks to pray for Karina, a 7-year-old girl sponsored by the ladies of the Crisis Shelter through World Vision. These prayers shared around the smoking area at the UGM Crisis Shelter for Women and Children are heart felt and full of faith, and I know God hears – hears even more than the words spoken.
Most of these ladies are new believers. From the smoking area, they will discuss classes, church and Bible studies from that night and the nights before. They engage each other on world issues in light of what they’re learning. With Christ as their guide, they begin to dream again, to hope again and to act on what they are learning. As they seek to live life a new way, they need men and women of God to come alongside them and be Jesus with skin on.
~ Rich Schaus, former Director of UGM Crisis Shelter for Women & Children
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