Which Path?

On Friday I was able to visit some of our students in their secondary school.  I don't do that very much anymore, but this one was important because of some problems one of the girls was having in school.  Taking a whole day off from school and travelling by ferry across the lake and then by road for a couple of hours is a big sacrifice but is sometimes necessary to help a child before it is too late.  We spent over three hours discussing issues with the student, her mother, her teachers, and even some other students.  The list of her mistakes was long and diverse.  Moreso it was very disappointing to those of us who have invested in her life.  When you invest money in someone, you want a good return on your investment.

The trail of sin in her life was so evident.  As it always does, one sin leads to another and before you know it, what starts "small" turns into a big snowball that is out of control.  But God is faithful and His timing is always perfect.  It seemed like we had come when she was at the tipping point.  If we would have waited longer, then it might have been too late.  She was able to confess some of her mistakes and seek the forgiveness of some of those that she had wronged.  She was shocked to discover that her teacher knew so many things that she thought were "hidden" and having it all laid out in the open helped to bring some healing and freedom. 

It won't be easy for her to mend all of her broken relationships and rebuild the trust that was once there; and it will be a struggle to overcome the daily temptations to go back to that way of life, but if she allows God to transform her from the inside out, then she will change. 

It was a long session of listening, rebuking, correcting, counselling, guiding and praying.  In the end, her future is in her hands.  We can give all the advise in the world, but we can't force anyone to do the right thing.

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of working here is to see a young person, who was heading down the wrong path, change and move back to the right one.  Let's pray that it happens in this case too.