God can turn a child's mess into a message of hope

Recently while listening to a Christian talk show, I heard this: God can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, a victim into a victor.

For more than 20 years, I have seen these words lived out over and over again at Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH). Children and families who come through our doors have endured so much trauma, so much mess, and so many trials. And yes, so many have been victims––victims of every form of abuse. Their lives have been filled with mess after mess, test after test, trial after trial, and abuse after abuse.

A beautiful baby boy was born to an alcoholic mother who was a child herself, abandoned and left to die. The baby was rescued and delivered to our orphanage in Guatemala. There, he was nurtured, fed, loved, and treated as the precious gift God made him to be. Today, he is a happy, thriving child. God used you to turn this child’s story into a message of hope.

A mom fled in fear of her safety and the safety of her four children. She was befriended by ladies in a local church who directed her to us. At BCH, she and her children found an environment where they were safe. In the Family Care program, she found loving mentors who helped her lift her head and believe in herself. More importantly, they pointed her to a loving Savior. God used you to help change this mom from victim to victor.

The May edition of Charity & Children shares the story of five resilient young people who live at Odum Home in Pembroke. Before coming to live at BCH, they each had a story of trauma that God turned from a mess to a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, a victim into a victor. They graduate from high school in only weeks and in the fall will be entering University of North Carolina at Pembroke. God used you to help turn their lives of trauma and trials to triumph.

Easter Sunday morning, children throughout BCH’s network of care woke to a new day. They rose to the smell of a good breakfast and knew they would not be hungry. They dressed in new, clean clothes and wore shoes that fit. And to their surprise, there were beautiful Easter baskets at the door of their room, gifts provided by you, our loving, caring church family.

Dressed for the