Another testimony from the House of Ruth, a home for pregnant women in need.
Shellis Shares Her Heart: Before I came to The House of Ruth, the father of my baby was my whole life. I depended on him a lot, and had few hopes or aspirations of my own apart from him. I had been living with Robert and his family for the past year. When he left home to join the Marines his family asked me to move out also. In my seventh month of pregnancy I found myself all alone. The consequences of the choices I had made were catching up with me.
The House of Ruth took me in when I had nowhere else to turn. My experiences at the House of Ruth changed my life in ways I never would have expected. Perhaps not so surprisingly personal growth and maturity were among these outcomes, something I knew that I needed. With clear and consistent boundaries, for the first time in my life I began to believe in myself.
I felt encouraged and supported as I developed dreams and goals of my own. Some of these goals included finishing high school, becoming a good parent, and planning for our future. The best part of my stay at The House of Ruth was my involvement with the staff. It meant a lot to me to have the time and attention Rebecca and Rae Ann gave me. I always felt loved, appreciated, supported, and encouraged by them. Though I am no longer living at the house, I know their support and love for me continues because I stay in contact with them. They became the family I had always longed for.
I also appreciated the staff’s willingness to accept people for who they are, no matter what their background is. Having acceptance and kindness toward everyone modeled in the home made me realize that being judgmental toward others was not how I wanted to be anymore.
Most of all, my life-changing experience at the House of Ruth must be attributed to the fact that I was introduced to Jesus Christ. Learning about Christ, and what it means to trust in Him was very meaningful to me. I admit that I have a hard time trusting others. Trusting Jesus to be my Lord, not just my Savior, is still a struggle for me. Though my future is uncertain, I know I can trust the Lord, and call upon Him daily for guidance and strength. Prayer has definitely helped me through so much these past months, and I know it will continue to do so in the future.
If this ministry didn’t exist, or if I hadn’t been a part of it, I know that I would be going down the wrong road with my life. Honestly, I don’t think I would have ever gone back to school; I wouldn’t have experienced so much personal growth and I would probably have been on welfare for the rest of my life.
Thanks to God, and The House of Ruth, I now have a beautiful baby boy, and I feel driven to provide the best life I can for him. I have been pursuing education, saving money, and making lifestyle changes that will benefit the life of my baby. Staying at the house also helped me improve my relationship with my boyfriend’s family, and my own mother, whom I hadn’t talked to for a year previous to coming the house.
I am very thankful for the time I spent at The House of Ruth. It truly did change my life.
Disclaimer: Articles featured on Oregon Report are the creation, responsibility and opinion of the authoring individual or organization which is featured at the top of every article.