âGentlemenâs Club Dancerâ
Last week we veered off our family members salvations to share about my boss and his wife and how God loves to use the foolish, like me, if our hearts are open. Today is proof how He wants to also use us in many outrageous ways when we are tuned into Him and His leading.
Again, as in last weekâs story, we were living in Florida and I had just my 3 boys, Easton still a baby. Soon after moving, I was sure I was pregnant again, but it was only a clever plan God had to get me to begin working in Pro Life again. Iâd taken off from volunteering for almost a year after moving to Florida from California. So, since I believed myself to be pregnant again, I searched the yellow pages for an ad that I could tell was a Pro Life clinic offering free pregnancy tests. This was long before a woman could simply buy a kit at the store, which meant youâd have to go to your doctor to find out. That was expensive and it also took longer to find out the results.
As soon as I walked in the door of the clinic, immediately ALL my symptoms disappeared. Then, when it was confirmed I wasnât pregnant, the counselor began explaining about the life growing inside of me and the value of the baby, when I stopped her to explain Iâd been a counselor for many years. Thatâs when her eyes lit up and she told me they needed volunteers and interestingly, that very evening they were having a meeting for new volunteers. Yes, Heâd set me up and thatâs when I knew my time off was over, time to get back to doing what I had a passion for.
A few months later, on Thanksgiving morning, something kept urging me to go to the clinic that morning even though it was closed. So I told my husband Iâd be back, and drove over, unlocking the doors, then locking them behind me. Just minutes later I heard a knocking on the door and my heart began to beat wildly because the area was seedy and dangerous, so we were warned to never open the door when we were alone. Knowing there were rules, I also knew Iâd come for a reason, so I asked the Lord what to do. When I slowly opened the door and peaked out, there stood a very pregnant young woman who was dirty, with loads of old makeup and very little clothing. Instantly I knew why Iâd come, and welcomed her in relieved and also excited.
Frankie began telling me why she was there, to get an abortion, so I said to get started I needed to get some information (which is the way we were trained to get them to begin talking about why they felt abortion was their only option). Nothing can ever prepare you to hear the kind of life some women are living through. Frankieâs boyfriend was just sentenced to several years in prison, so by the end of the month, sheâd have nowhere to live. The tracks on her arms also showed where her money went from dancing in a gentlemenâs clubâyes, very pregnant and still dancing with nothing on đ
Letting her talk, once I knew sheâd shared everything, I leaned over the desk and asked what she was doing that Sunday; did she have any plans? More than a bit stunned, she said, nothing, so I asked if sheâd like to go to church with me and meet my familyâtelling her how Iâd love her to hold my baby and get to know my husband and 2 boys. Puzzled she said, âYouâd want me to meet your family?!â
âOf course, youâd love them and theyâd love you. Please say youâll come?â
Though she said she would, when I stood outside and she didnât show, I thought it had to still be a good idea. We werenât actually at our church, it was the church who sponsored the Pro Life clinic and was close by, so when it popped into my head, I knew thatâs where to invite her. When suddenly I looked up and saw her walking towards us, dressed more than a bit scantily, which made me smile since it was a Baptist church so I knew it would raise more than a few eyebrows.
As she walked up, I stretched my arms forward with my baby boy kicking his feet, all smiles, for her to hold. At that moment I could see everything in her demeanor change. Prior to that, she was hard, cold, and unfeeling. Then, instantly, as my adorable baby smiled and grabbed for her, all of that facade broke away (Eastonâs always had that effect on people, even way back then đ
While my husband took our older two boys to their classes, I asked her to come with me to put the baby in the nursery, and while I was there I pointed to the newborn room where I said, âThatâs the room where you could bring your baby; we can stop by later so you can meet the ladiesâtheyâre all grandmothers and just love to rock the babies through the service so you can have some time to yourself.â
When we walked into the church building, I spotted the clinicâs founder, Barbara, who I had been in awe of from the moment I met her. God used her as an amazing Titus older woman when she trained me to be a Pro Life speaker, which I know prepared me for this ministry.
Long before I saw her, Barbara saw us and was sweeping herself our way with outstretched arms and a huge smile on her face. Coming towards Frankie (not me) she wrapped her arm around her shoulder while turning, and in her very gentle and quiet voice, began to escort her to sit with âus.â Of course, she didnât know one thing about Frankie nor had we ever come to her church, but just as it had been planned for weeks before, Barbara flowed in the spirit of the Lord.
Frankie sat between Barbara and me, so I was able to watch and learn how beautifully this older woman knew when to say nothing when to wrap an arm around Frankie or to simply hold her hand. Barbara also knew exactly how and what to say when the preacher called for people to come down. Turning to Frankie she whispered, âI know you want to go, but itâs a bit scary, isnât it? Of course, your heartâs beating so hard, so let me come down with youâ as she simply stood up, still holding Frankieâs hand. Once at the altar, Barbara hugged her from behind but left the altar worker to do her part in HIS salvation plans.
At the end of the service, instead of getting up and leaving, we were asked to sit down. Then the curtains behind the pulpit opened, revealing the baptismalâand there stood Frankie, all in white, being baptized! When the curtains shut everyone else stood to leave, but Barbara and her husband didnât stand, so neither did we. They also didnât speak, so neither did we, when a few minutes later, there was Frankie, hair wet, wearing a borrowed sweater (that covered what had been exposed, but what I realized no one had been staring at or raising an eyebrow over!)
Thatâs when I remembered that just before leaving for church, we realized we had no cash to take Frankie out to lunch (and taking her home was too far away). This was prior to people using credit cards and Iâm not sure debit cards existed, which meant for us to go out to lunch we needed cash and we didnât have enough. Yet, this next event in the Lordâs salvation story simply happened as seamlessly as all the rest. As soon as we stood Barbara told Frankie that as a new member of their church, she could invite us to join her for the Sunday luncheon held the last Sunday of the month.
While eating, dozens of members came by to hug Frankie and began inviting her to all sorts of programs she might enjoy coming to, with them, that week. Before Barbara left, she told Frankie sheâd meet her early the next morning at the clinic to help her choose some maternity clothes and a baby layette (the crib, clothing, diapers, etc.) sheâd need. Then afterward theyâd have lunch with their pastor to talk over options for a new job and training if sheâd be interested.
That day, Frankie began calling herself Frances and two months later gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who was not addicted to heroin. At the moment she came up out of the water, Frances said she immediately knew she was free from her drug addiction.
Over the years Frances and I kept in touch. Watching her new life kept me in awe (and still does) each and every time I see what God did to help this young woman become someone brand new.
This isnât the first or last time the Lord led me somewhere to meet someone special for Him. Next week I will share with you an incident that got me into a lot of trouble, and yet, everyone knew Heâd chosen someone not only foolish but weak to help a homeless black man find life in Him!
1 Corinthians 1:27 Aramaic Bible in Plain English
âFor God has chosen the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and he has chosen the weak of the world to shame the mighty.â
"Took My Husband to a Brothel!"
Upon my arrival in this country, my husband wanted to take me to work with him, so I had the opportunity to share with the people who work with him, especially with two women, his secretary and the person in charge of the production area, who are in the office permanently with me, while I do my job. The production manager has had different crises in which she tries to attract attention by threatening suicide due to a bad relationship that she has or had with my husband's boss.
One day she and my husband had to go to a meeting, so they were absent part of the morning, later when they returned they were at the reception, my husband, she, the secretary, a relative who is living with us and two production employees, I stopped by the reception and sat there for a while to rest a little then when she saw me come in she said aloud to me "You know where I took your husband today ... To a brothel!" to which I was silent, and I think I was expressionless until I smiled at her, said absolutely nothing, and looked down to find the Bible on my cell phone! Everyone looked at me and looked at each other, silence flooded the place and then someone changed the subject.
Meanwhile I did not change my attitude with my husband, I did not say anything, and for the rest of the afternoon (and the days) I continued with kindness and peace, because I understood that it was an attack from the enemy, so I just kept silent trusting in the protection of my Beloved. Something I noticed was that I did not feel anything against this woman, I just did not blame her and the next day I was also kind to her and her children who usually takes them to the office to study from there (due to the pandemic). Then I learned that the meeting had to be there because of the space, which they do not have elsewhere here.
Then something unexpected happened, days later she told me that she wanted to talk to me because she wanted to ask me a question, I hardly remember our conversation anymore, but she said that she saw in me so much patience and so much calm (which I think is the soft and peaceful spirit) that she wanted that for her, she said she felt bad about the way she is and how she behaves and that she doesn't want to live depressed anymore, but she wants to change. She said, how do you do to be like this? Wow! So that was that test !!
And I told him, only God ... He did it, like a vessel that fell apart in His hands, He made me again, I went through a moment in my life in which I wanted to take my life, in which I was bitter and depended of a man's love, but those days passed because He changed me and made me new, He changes any heart of stone, You are not a hopeless case, He loves you and is there with you to change you and to help you. Tears came from her eyes ... And she said that not even with her children could she transmit that love. I was able to tell him that it was not about going to church every Sunday, that I did it, before and that had not changed me, but that it was having an intimate relationship with God, that I only needed Him. I know we talked a lot more and She was very receptive, we even prayed together and decided to study the book âA Wise Womanâ together.
I remembered that before traveling my Heavenly Husband told me: âNot knowing God is like living in the dark, and before you lived like that, because you didn't know him. But now they know it, and have come to light; then live accordingly to those who know God â(Ephesians 5: 8) and then I understood that He is answering my prayer when I asked that women could see Him in me, not by my speaking, but by who He is and has done in me.
What a great blessing to bring Him everywhere, that is the perfume that I want to wear every day, the perfume of His love, so that women are drawn to the Lover of their souls, the man who will heal their hearts and transform their lives in life you always dreamed of having, even though you didn't know it!
âNot knowing God is like living in darkness, and before you lived like that, because you didn't know him. But now they know it, and have come to light; then live accordingly to those who know God â(Ephesians 5: 8)
"Everyone can clearly see the good that Christ has done in your life. For people to speak well of us, they only have to look at you. Because you are like a letter that speaks for us. Christ himself wrote it in our hearts, so that we may present it. He did not write it in stone, or in ink, but he wrote it with the Spirit of the living God. And that letter is visible to all who want to read it. " (2 Corinthians 3: 2)
~ Anastasia in Colombia who is part of our Spanish Ministry Team