Our Time at SAFE Family Ministries

I am finally getting a chance to share with all of you the best 6 months of this journey for me.  Last June we arrived through a beautiful chain of events at SAFE Family ministries in Chehalis, Washington.  Its a home for women who desire to come out of their addictive or abusive lifestyles.  I have always had a heart for women from these backgrounds but never knew how we, as a family, would have an opportunity to help.  As we pulled in, I didn’t know what to expect.  I don’t have a background similar to any of these women, so I didn’t know what this would look like.  I was hesitant at first but couldn’t wait to get to know them. Little did I know that the next 6 months would teach and mold me in new ways.  

I started by going in the morning to their devotions.  I got to listen to each one share and I became in love with their hearts for God.  Their desire to learn and their humility.   I began to learn that even though I hadn’t been in their shoes, the answer doesn’t change.  Christs example of how to live and his will for all our lives doesn’t change depending on your background.  These women, as well as most of the people we meet, have just lost sight of Gods love for them and the marriage relationship with him he has called them to.  These women were no different than anyone else.  They needed to know they were loved by a holy God and that he had called them to a powerful freeing lifestyle in Him where they die to their fleshly desires and begin finding value and direction within the life and example of Christ.

I saw how their humility and desire to learn, opened the door for powerful moves of God.  They began to find freedom and value as God used them to heal, prophesy, to dream dreams, and begin to pray mightily in the spirit (they would see things in the spirit and they learned they could pray against them and take authority over them). Their destinies began to come clearer as they submitted and learned to use the authority God had given them.  But I also saw how a persons will, to not submit or fight spiritual truth, hindered them from finding the freedom they deep down wanted.  

I will never forget a conversation I had with a young lady, whom I love deeply (I really love all of them like crazy). She began to get real with me and when I asked her why do they struggle with self sabotage and going back to their old ways after being clean for a long period of time.  She told me that it can be a fear of the “other” side.  They have grown so accustomed to this lifestyle and being controlled by others that even though they know its destructive, they fear living a good life on the “otherside”.  I just thought to myself, wow!  And here many of us sit in judgment and snub their noses at people struggling and they don’t even realize the deep deception and lies those struggling are dealing with.  They have to be told and encouraged that there is more and that they have much more value in Gods eyes then what man around them tell them.  And sometimes, we have to walk with people as they go on their journey to discovering this for themselves.  

While I was there I also saw the difference in helping the girls when we attempt to use mans way and psychology vs Gods way and freedom in the spirit. I also saw how someone can begin to get freedom but how the enemy can come back if they don’t get fillled with the spirit and align themselves with Gods spirit and truth.

After seeing and learning over those 6 months, I left there with a stronger understanding that following Christ is not a casual endevor.  The spiritual battles are real.  Demonic activity is very real and following Christ is not about a religion nor is it a game we can just play around with to make us feel good and get us to heaven.  I have realized that Christians have become too comfortable with grace and have lost their fear (holy reverence) of a God who holds our eternity in his hands. When we get ahold of this as a body, there is nothing more humbling yet so empowering to go and do the works of Him.  If we are comfortable with helping at church occasionally, cracking our bibles open for bible study or following a program, we are missing the mark.  We are missing what relationship with God is all about.  We miss out on the true transformation as we learn to walk in His ways, obeying his commands, stop following feelings, denying the sinful desires, and humbling ourselves to a mighty God that draws us to holiness and walking as Christ walked.  

My sisters at SAFE are a part of me.  They will be forever and I miss them dearly.  But I also knew it was time to go because some of them needed to fly.  You can walk with people but they must also learn to depend upon the holy spirit for themselves.  They must step into who God wants them to become within that house.  So we passed the torch.  And God is still growing them in leaps and bounds.  I pray to go back and I know we will at some point.  But for now, we are off learning more, in other ways.