Bus tales: Part two

I talked about a quiet, reserved, North Korean woman in my last blog that had overcome a traumatic childhood escaping from another country where her and her family's life was in danger.  Today I am going to tell a story of a young woman from Mexico who had to suffer a similar experience.

This young woman sat next to me bubbling with personality, laughing, friendly, outgoing, and spilling out her story to me.  She was born in Mexico and calls herself with a laugh "a true wetback".  When she was a child probably around five years old she and her family crossed the river from Mexico to the US in the middle of the night on a rickety over loaded boat.  She fell out and almost drowned.  Her father was abusive to her and her sister physically.  She tells of stories of her and her sister having knock down drag out fist fights with their father.  No matter how bad he was she talks of helping him now with a great fondness in her voice.  This is a true representation of how forgiveness can change your life.

After years of living in LA, three children later and two bad relationships with men, she found herself escaping again to Reno where she lived homeless in the park with her three young children.  She says the only thing that got her through all of it was her relationship with the Lord.  She still has her struggles but she has a job with a nonprofit legal center, a roof over her head and a joy and a peace that can only come from our Lord.  She sells Mary Kay on the side and uses it as a vehicle to minister to women and show them they can be beautiful no matter where they are in their lives.  She and I have become pretty good friends and she blesses me everyday with her joy and compassion toward others. 

A thought for the day:  Today you can choose to live in your past hurts, nurturing them with toxic thoughts and actions or you can move forward taking one day at a time, praising God for the opportunities He has presented to you. 

 I Thessalonians 3:7-13 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸ For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? ¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
(my prayer for all the broken hearted people I know)
¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.