I recently had an amazing conversation with Sylvia Anderson of the Everett Gospel Mission. We talked a lot about faith and life and although the audio was cut short, I want to share some of the things we talked about with you. This is part two of our interview.
The message Sylvia shares the first time someone walks in their door is that we can all have faith that God is there and is for us. So I asked, “What about the second or third time someone comes in? How do they believe you this time when their circumstances are the same as before?” Sylvia responded that she is so glad God doesn’t just meet her in her addictions the first time around the mountain, He is there every time. We all have addictions, and when we say that our addictions are “better” than others, we’re setting up ourselves as the judge. Put another way, her clients’ struggles are no bigger to God than her struggles. We are all valuable and human, and she shares that message with her clients at the Everett Gospel Mission. “Seeds take time to grow.” After all, how many times have you dealt with something over and over, only to finally resolve the issue? Besides, when a client comes back to EGM after being back on the street, they are not the same person as before. They’ve grown and they’ve learned. If they see something happening around them that’s not right, maybe before it didn’t bother them. And now it does. That is change to be celebrated.
Sometimes seeds take a while to grow. Change doesn’t happen overnight. Sylvia was recently with a gentleman who was getting ready to sign a lease, but was hesitant– he had never signed a lease on his own. He was 50 years old! With the support of the Everett Gospel Mission, he signed that lease and is doing well.
This is just an example of the success stories that Sylvia and the Everett Gospel Mission are seeing. Every situation is different and people constantly change and grow. When you have support from family, friends, and Jesus Christ, anything is possible.
Stay tuned for part 3 of our conversation, where we will handle being emotionally supportive of the people in your life. I can’t wait to see you soon on the next step of this faith walk.
