March 2008 Newsletter
“The Lord is the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40: 25-31
Dear Friends,
Jeff and I have been living in New England for over 35 years and each year I become more convinced that the bears have the right idea! February would be a lot more pleasant if we all hibernated until the warm spring winds blow across the land. We could sleep through the coldest, darkest days and wake up to the new life budding and blooming all around us.
Well, this past month has not been one of hibernation at Place of Promise, but would better be described as a time of the “Cocoon Stage”. There is a species of caterpillars that transform into very large, beautiful moths. After crawling around as a caterpillar for a period of time, this creature will spin a cocoon around itself from top to bottom. It will then remain encased in this sack while it ceases to exist as it was and changes into something completely new. The moth that emerges is totally different than the caterpillar it once was. However, the moth must remain inside until the transformation is complete. As the wings develop, the moth begins to struggle against the inside walls of the cocoon. It squirms, it pushes, it vainly tries to beat the new wings. It appears to be uncomfortable, imprisoned, attempting to break out. In reality, it does not get out until the complete change has taken place and the moth is ready to fly. As it struggles from within, a special fluid begins to flow into and fills tiny tubules that trace across the wings. Without this struggle, the fluid would not move into the wings. The hatched moth would be burdened down by useless, heavy wings, unempowered by fluid, and would die soon after its second birth.
Similarly, this past month at Place of Promise has been one of necessary hardship and struggle. Transformation from the old into the new is happening! Praise God! We, like the grand moths, need time in the cocoon. We need the struggles, the tough times, the hard work, the fight. There have been many struggles this month. Sometimes, especially in the dead of winter, the daily journey of life seems too hard, too unending, too slow. The growth, the change is taking too long. There is a terrible temptation to take control of the whole re-creation process ourselves and make it happen our way according to our agenda. We cut open the cocoon too early, without the hard work of recovery, without the struggle, with no discomfort, and we attempt to fly. We want to soar on wings like an eagle without waiting on God! Then we wonder why the new life overwhelms us, so quickly dragging us down into defeat and despair. The quick and easy changes don’t last. There is no endurance, no strength.
There is a young woman who came to Place of Promise in February, 2007. This month she celebrated her first year of living a brand new life, sober and clean! This past year has been one of great suffering, tragedy and struggles for her. There were many times when her pain was so great, I longed for a way to help her escape it. Each time I was reminded that our job at Place of Promise was not to help her run away, escape or fix all the problems, but to be present with her, supporting and loving her through the time of struggle, waiting on God with her, knowing that the change was going to come. God would renew her strength. She would run and not grow weary; she would walk and not faint. One day she would fly! Today she’s an “A” student in a medical assistant training school, she’s spending time each week with her children, she’s sober and clean and most importantly, she’s a new creation in Christ on a new journey of life!
Many of you have waited on God with us at Place of Promise. You have gone through so many times of great struggles, suffering, hardships and pain with us. You have also witnessed miraculous transformation of lives at Place of Promise! It has not been an easy journey, but it has been one of abundant life! It is not easy to wait on the Lord. Like waiters in a restaurant, we stand ready to take His orders, do our very best to serve Him obediently with honor and please Him with sacrifice and praise. March 31, 2008 will mark the 14th anniversary of the incorporation of Place of Promise in Boston, MA.
You have faithfully waited on the Lord with us and now we would like you to join with us to celebrate new life at Place of Promise. We invite you, all our supporters, health care providers, judges, lawyers, caseworkers, social workers, friends, families to a dinner followed by gospel music and testimonials of the many lives that have been transformed from death unto life at Place of Promise over the last 14 years. The date is:
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Time: 4pm-8pm
Location: First Parish Congregational Church of Wakefield
1 Church Street, Wakefield, MA 02180
Everyone is invited. There will be care and special activities for the children. Come and you will receive a blessing! Come and you will have the opportunity to give again to the life changing ministry of Place of Promise. Look up all the details on our new website: www.PlaceofPromise.Org. God bless you all! Thank you all for the many years of waiting on God together!
Growing stronger through struggle,
Beth Kidd, Director