No…today’s post is not about a large airplane. The number above represents something far greater than a hunk of metal that takes us to far-off destinations. The number above, instead, represents actual people and the impact you are having on the community around you.
Since January 1st of this year we have seen 757 appointments at HOPE. This is 757 opportunities to love, serve, and care for those in need…757 opportunities to celebrate life! This is how real impacts are made. This is how we put the gospel to work and in action.
My goal in touting this number is not to boast or pontificate. I simply want you to know what your gifts and prayers are doing here at HOPE. Last week I told you this model was working and today I want to provide you with confirmation. I want you to clearly see the need many are facing and the HOPE they are finding.
This hope is occurring in the daily interactions our staff is blessed to have with men and women facing unforeseen or unplanned circumstances – circumstances that might have once been unfathomable, but are now a reality. This reality, however dire it may be, does not have to “ruin” the future plans of these patients.
This opinion is not the championed thought of today’s “do what makes you happy” culture, but this opinion is based in truth and in real life testimonies of those that have found joy and happiness in the midst of their crisis and on the other side of their crisis.
We have all found ourselves in an unplanned circumstance. Each one of us, at different points in our lives, have found our home in the valley. Some of us took our time getting down there while others made the plunge fairly quickly.
Many of our patients fall in the latter camp. The crisis they find themselves in was a plunge to the valley. An unplanned pregnancy or a positive STD test quickly changes the outlook one may have on their circumstances. It is this quick plunge coupled with despair that drives our patients to, at times, make hasty decisions – decisions that have lasting repercussions.
This is where HOPE comes in. HOPE’s staff is well equipped and trained to meet these patients in their valleys. We do not take this work lightly. We understand the amount of trust that is put into our care by you, the local church, and, most importantly, our patients. We strive every single day to be a good steward of your trust and to love unconditionally those that find themselves in the valley.
The 757 appointments that visited HOPE over the last four and a half months were brought to us for a reason. Their particular circumstances and reasons varied, but the care provided was consistent. We believe without shame that every life has value and is worthy of our care and concern. This is who we are…this is who you are!
Our mission statement is clear. We are seeking to empower healthy choices for life by providing compassionate, holistic reproductive healthcare. We do this day in and day out because we love people. This love occurs regardless if they are currently in the valley, on the mountain top, or somewhere in between. This love doesn’t change. We are, again, consistent as we love the happy married couple that finally got pregnant and the young mom that finds herself faced with the tough truth of an unplanned pregnancy.
It is a both/and strategy here at HOPE. We understand reality can sometimes be crushing, but it is our goal to assist those that visit HOPE to find hope in their situation. It was an honor to serve the 757 patients so far in 2016 and we are honored to serve the thousands that we will see over the coming months and years. Thank you for standing with us and allowing this work to continue in this community!
posted by Andrew Wood, Executive Director of Hope Resource Center
