The Best is Yet to Come
Gloria was tightly bound by the grasp of hopelessness and felt as though she simply had nowhere to turn. For years, she had been desperately seeking stability in all the wrong places. She was in a relationship that was both physically and emotionally damaging, but the uncertainty of leaving felt more paralyzing than continuing to endure the abuse she had become accustomed to. She could see that her relationship was beginning to take an emotional toll on her, but when she realized that it also threatened the safety of her three young children, she knew that something had to change.
With all the bravery and strength she could muster up, Gloria packed their bags. That evening, she, Richie, Justice, and Raven slipped away to find temporary refuge at a family member’s house. This new home was a reprieve from the toxic environment they’d been living in, but Gloria still struggled to cut ties with her ex and continued to live in fear. As they bounced around from one home to the next, Gloria knew that her kids needed the stability of a safe, loving environment. But she just wasn’t sure how she could provide that for them. As a newly single mom of three, her finances and resources were extremely limited. A few months later, after a warning from Child Protective Services, Gloria decided that enough was enough. She had to get help.
“I was tired of being afraid, unsure of our future, and watching my kids struggle and be tossed with the wind as the result of us not having anywhere more permanent to go,” she says. After learning about the Family Care program at Texas Baptist Children’s Home, she knew that this is was where they needed to be. She began praying that the Lord would open that door for her family and waited for a phone call from TBCH. When the phone call finally came, Gloria was elated! She knew this could be the turning point for her and her family.
After their acceptance into the program, Gloria, Richie, Justice, and Raven arrived at TBCH anxious, but ready to begin the next chapter of their lives. When they set foot on the campus in Round Rock, they never could have imagined the grace, love, and healing that they would encounter. The kids adjusted to their new environment almost immediately and made fast friends with the other children in the Family Care program. To hear them laughing and playing put Gloria’s heart at ease.
Gloria was warmly embraced by her Family Life Coordinator, who lived in the cottage with her and two other families, and taught her to learn how to balance work, finances, and all the responsibilities of being a single mom. Gloria’s counselor helped her begin healing from the difficulties of her past, which was initially a struggle. She had a hard time letting go of many of the things that were holding her back, but she was committed to creating a better life for her and her children. Through regular counseling sessions, Gloria began to see that she could trust the Lord with both her past and her future. “The weekly counseling has offered healing and an opportunity to look within myself to see what is broken, and given me tools to work on those things,” she says. Additionally, she is deeply involved with Southern Hills Baptist Church and has developed a wonderful, supportive community of friends who have walked closely with her through this season of growth and new beginnings.
During her time at TBCH, Gloria has maintained a full-time job and regained much of the confidence that was lost in the years of abuse she endured. She has learned to manage a budget for a family of four and has become disciplined in saving money for a rainy day. Overcoming many of the fears that once held her captive has breathed life into her once weary soul - and she recently conquered one of those fears by flying on an airplane for the first time! She is so thankful that Richie, Justice, and Raven are being given the chance to thrive at TBCH. They are flourishing in the stability that the Family Care program provides and, for the first time in their lives, the kids are able to be involved in extracurricular activities at the local YMCA. Through the healing that her family has experienced at TBCH, Gloria finally feels free to move forward with her life and leave the baggage of her past behind.
Gloria and her family will soon be moving into the Independent Living program at TBCH, where they will learn to live on their own again, but still within the healthy, supportive community they’ve grown to love. Looking back on her journey, Gloria sees that sometimes the road to restoration is tumultuous and comes at a high price, but it is worth it. Through TBCH, the Lord is moving her family toward a promising future and reestablishing the hope that was once lost. “Because of the healing we’ve experienced, I am confident that the best is surely yet to come,” she says with a smile.
