A New Home for Little Wife

“Mom, when will we have a place to live?”  

“Soon, honey.  I know we will find a place to live real soon.  The Lord will help us.  He always helps us.  He already knows where our new home is and will be leading us there real soon.”  

Glorie Christos (who used to be known as Little Wife) took a deep breath and prayed, “Yes, Lord, please help us today.”  Her children had been very patient for these past few weeks of homelessness.  They really trusted that she would somehow find a way for them to all be together again.  Her sons had been living with their father, their friends, and their sister while Glorie Christos and her youngest daughter had stayed with different friends and sometimes in the car.

“Okay, here’s a place that looks affordable and safe.  I’ll go there today and fill out an application.”

“Okay, Mom, we love you.”

Glorie Christos drove to the apartment complex, noting the interesting name, Stonegate Apartments.  She remembered that the Lord is her strong refuge, her solid Rock.

She found the office and went inside, feeling a little hopeful, but also a lot worried.  Even with her new name, she sometimes felt very overwhelmed by the cares of life.  But at least she was free from Big Man.

“Yes, I’d like to fill out an application to live here.  It looks like a very nice place.  Do you have any two bedroom apartments available?”

“Good morning.  Yes, we have a two-bedroom apartment available by the end of the month.  Please complete this application.  Here’s a pen for you.”  The receptionist behind the front desk was all business.  Her no-nonsense navy blue suit was intimidating to Glorie Christos.  She looked over at Glorie Christos like she was a bug.

The housing application was very detailed and Glorie Christos found that she couldn’t answer all of the questions.  She had no address, no income, no employment, only one personal reference.  Her eyes filled with tears as she tried to think how to navigate this challenge.  Finally, she handed the clipboard with the application and the pen back to the woman behind the desk.

“I’m sorry,” she said.  “I don’t have all the answers, I’ve been living in my car with my daughter.  We escaped a domestic abuse situation.  I don’t have a job, but I had a really good job interview yesterday.  Please do consider us.”

The woman took the application, glanced at it and set it down on the edge of her desk.  “Thank you for your application, and I will share it with the Stonegate apartment manager.  But just to warn you, don’t get your hopes up.  This really is not enough for us…”

“I understand,” said Glorie Christos quietly.  “Thank you.”  She walked out of the office with her head down, ashamed for even trying to live in this beautiful place.

Two hours later, her phone rang.

“Hello?  This is Glorie Christos.”

“Hello, Ms Christos, this is Anne from Stonegate apartments.  I have very good news for you and I don’t understand it, but your application for housing has been approved by our manager.  He has a special place in his heart for victims of domestic abuse.  Please bring us your security deposit and your first month’s rent and we will give you keys to your new apartment.”

For Glorie Christos, Jesus rolled the stone away.

Chaplain’s Note:  When we are in a crisis, we feel hopeless and alone.  We feel there’s no way that things can get better, no way that things will work for our good.  We’ve listened to the lies for so long that we believe the lies rather than the truth.  But if we take just a tiny step of faith, if we even have the faith of a mustard seed, the Lord works in amazing ways for us.  Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”  He has great and wonderful plans for us, plans to bless us and prosper us, plans to give us a hope and future.  He might be working in someone’s heart, or arranging an unexpected financial blessing.  He might be giving us His great gift of peace and His presence in hard circumstances.  But He does not leave us to our despair and anxiety.  His love is great for His children.

“For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20