"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
We weren’t naive enough to think that each girl we rescued into our safe house would instantly respond to our love and care with an immediate 180 degree turn from her former life and a heart full of gratitude…but nothing prepared us for this little girl. She reads like a “cheap psychology” book, determined to sabotage every effort for her good. She is full of inappropriate coping mechanisms, self-fulfilling prophecies, early-sexualized behaviors and attachment disorder—just to name a few. While it might seem explainable on paper, it is excruciating to endure in real life, and it seems that the one who provides the most constant care for her is the one she has chosen as the target for all her current outbursts and passive aggressive rage—Greici.
I get upsetting calls from Greici almost every other day, and she is not so frail of a person. You see, Greici has walked through much of what our girls have and understands much of their pain on an intimate level. Yet this girl has somehow proven capable of finding and hitting all of Greici's buttons. A few times a week, Greici feels ready to throw in the towel, send her away, feed her to the wolves, and never see or talk to her again.
It has even been hard for Greici to pray! But God is faithful, and He has even called her out of bed and into His presence. She has resisted, but He has persisted. Each day when we meet, I ask about her prayer time and what God is showing her. The other day she told me this story…
"So I got up, finally --after many sleepless nights avoiding the spirit’s invitation and prodding to get up and pray. I got up. I went to sit at the table and as I closed my eyes, I saw her…all grown up and standing before a crowd teaching. She was beautiful! It wasn’t anything that would fit into my imagination, and I think it was from God. Yes, I know it was from God."
“What do you think that means?” she asked me.
“What do YOU think it means?” I asked her in response.
She continued…"Then I felt led to read in Mark, and I turned to this passage about the man with a possessed son who goes to Jesus for healing. Jesus asks him if he believes and he says, 'Yes, but please help me with my unbelief.' Then Jesus frees the son of the demons who have tortured him his whole life. When the disciples see this they go to Jesus and ask why they were unable to free the same boy earlier, and Jesus explains that some battles are only won through fasting and prayer." (paraphrase of Mark 9)
“What do you think that means?” she asked me.
“What do YOU think it means?” I asked her in response.
Our staff is reading a book called The Circle Maker, and we have decided to fast and pray circles around this girl for 21 days. Join us if you wish. We will culminate our fast on July 8 with a full night of prayer in honor of my birthday on the 9th!