There is that moment when you realize you are hopelessly lost.  You are cold, it is dark, and you are terrified….

In my mid-twenties, I was aimlessly drifting through life, out of touch with my faith, and making all of the wrong decisions.  I drifted from job to job, place to place, and person to person looking for the answers, but only finding more problems.  Though I had “grown up in the church”, somewhere along the way, I lost touch with God.  I had no relationship with Christ anymore--I was a ship without an anchor, being pushed about the ocean by the tides.  Rather than turning to Him when I needed guidance, I turned inward.  This way of living worked just fine when things were going well, but it left me with little comfort or wisdom when life bowed southward.

One day, when I was working at a small hospital in Atlanta, things were going particularly unwell in my personal life.  Family issues, relationship problems, and career anxiety were all swirling in my head.  It was one of those days when you feel like the world is shifting below your feet.  Feeling shaky, I excused myself from work and headed out to a small gazebo for a minute alone.  I sat there with my head in my hands. A co-worker, who I only knew casually, joined me on the gazebo.  She could tell I was distraught, but did not probe.  She just simply asked me if she could share her story with me.  I said yes.

She told me that she did not grow up a Christian.  She explained that she grew up in a war-torn nation in Africa.  She had escaped to seek refuge in the US, but had to leave all of her family members, except for one sibling behind.  It wasn’t until she was on safe ground that the gravity of the decision to leave her family behind dawned on her.  She was completely lost, grieving, and panicked.  Feeling wholeheartedly overwhelmed, she said she dropped to the floor and cried for God to take over.  She had a basic familiarity with Christianity, but she said that was the moment that Christ entered her heart.  She said that giving her life to God gave her the strength to go on. She then asked if she could pray with me. 

There is that moment when you are found.  You see the flashlight in the distance, you hear someone calling your name, and tears of relief stream down your face.

My co-worker, my rescuer, saved me that day.  She reminded me that I was not alone.  She reminded me that I was loved.  She reminded me that there was a plan.  She reminded me about forgiveness.  She reminded me about Jesus.  She reminded me that we can endure all things when we have Christ by our side.

There is that moment when you are safe.  You’re wrapped in a blanket, and it’s warm and bright.  You’re not alone and you feel light with hope.

It was on that day that I began a new relationship with Christ.  This new relationship was different than the one I’d had with Christ in my childhood.  This relationship was deeper and more sincere. Though I long-ago lost touch with her, I often think about my rescuer.  I like to think she’s on a gazebo somewhere, sharing her story with someone else. 

—Amanda Lucas

Will start on December 1st