Thank You Irekka

Last night my small group had the privilege of being introduced to a wonderful mom named Irekka. (Check out Tonia Bendickson's Blog on the story here.)

We found out about her because of our relationship with Communities in Schools - Safe Journey a program that helps teenage mothers graduate from high school and pursue their dreams in college.

Irekka's story is tragic - 19 with 2 kids, living in an apartment with a box spring to sleep on, a pot with a broken handle to warm up her kid's bottle, no money, no support, and seemingly no reason for having hope - yet, the characteristic that stood out most about her was her Joy.

Some of the ladies in our group treated Irekka to her first dinner at Olive Garden, we stayed behind and loaded furniture, dishes, clothes, and food into the apartment. When Irekka returned she walked into a fully furnished apartment. Her little girl Meiara was so excited she was literally bouncing off the walls. Irekka said, "I've been praying for 2 months that God would help and He did...I'm so happy!"

Irekka's joy and contentment was remarkable.

Thank you Irekka for reminding me just how blessed I am and for resetting my vision. Your best is yet to come. We're praying for you and more importantly, we're with you!