The following is a real story from a real family who was ministered to by Midland Fair Havens.
Judith: A Lasting Hope
With no alternative and on her last dollar, Judith* first called Fair Havens looking for rental assistance. The pride in her voice revealed how difficult it was for her to ask for help but she was exhausted from the daily struggle to keep from being evicted. Detecting a desire to ‘pull her life together’, our case manager nurtured a non-residential relationship for months before Judith lost her apartment and finally moved into Fair Havens to pursue her education and improve her income capacity.
From the beginning, it was obvious that she was angry and distrustful. Her background had made her feel that the world was against her and ‘no one cared’ especially those people that should. Every day Judith felt like she was in a ‘fight for her life’ against the whole world. She was suspicious of everyone and fiercely protective of her three children not wanting them to experience anything like her own childhood. Amazingly, her quick wit and humorous storytelling covered her pain well. To outsiders, she appeared strong and independent. She wouldn’t let anyone get too close out of fear that someone might see how fragile and vulnerable she really was. Judith’s determination to survive was evident in her strong work ethic but she consistently lived nervously anticipating the next disappointment or disaster. For months she was guarded and worried that she was going to be expelled from the program even though she never broke a rule. Even though Judith appeared to be looking for an opportunity to ‘escape’, she remained faithful to the requirements of the program.
With time and a consistent display of love and acceptance from the Fair Havens staff, Judith slowly began to relax and gain some confidence that ‘good things’ could be a part of her family’s life. She began believing that perhaps there were people that cared about her and her precious children. Consistently, she attended case management meetings, life skills classes and personal counseling sessions. Having established a goal of obtaining her LVN, Judith began to experience success in the classroom which boosted her self-worth. She struggled at times balancing the many responsibilities of being a single mother, student and employee but the encouragement of the staff helped her keep things in perspective so she wouldn’t feel ‘all was lost’ with each minor disappointment. Working diligently, Judith completed her LVN requirements and passed her licensing test on the first attempt. Once equipped with a profitable career, she was able to drastically reduce her debt and work toward her goal of purchasing her own home.
But Judith’s success story extends beyond the obvious educational and vocational achievements. During her two years at Fair Havens, she learned to selectively trust others and maintain healthier boundaries in relationships with other people. Her demeanor around campus from the time she entered the program to her final days of residency revealed a remarkable change of attitude that was no longer consumed by anger. To the delight of the staff, she received the unconditional love being offered to her even accepting hugs that had been previously rebuffed. Most importantly, her faith in God grew as she learned to trust Him to help her to make positive decisions for her family. For the first time in her life, Judith was experiencing genuine hope for herself and her children.
At Fair Havens, we realize that two years is not enough time to totally correct every life weakness but it provides an opportunity to change the direction of a faltering life and create hope for the future. For Judith, her residency produced a life changing healing of her heart and soul which transformed her anger into acceptance and her fear into faith. Regardless of anything else, that is what we call a success story!
*Judith is a fictitious name used to protect the confidentiality of the actual client described in this story.