Generate 2nd Chances
| Posted February 14th, 2008 by Tony |
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I’ve been asked by dozens of people “what the main purpose of Generate is?” I’ve wrestled a little with my response as I wanted it to be biblical, clear, and relevant but then I read a story recently about an Army Captain who was on patrol in Iraq and the story defined for me our purpose. This specific Captain was running routine exploratory missions in Baghdad when he and his team came across a Mother Teresa home for orphans. As they entered with guns drawn they found eight emaciated, fragile, starving children in a locked room, apparently left when battle had transpired. This Captain found one of the boys in a corner, strapped to a crib, lying in his own feces, and stricken with Cerebral Palsy. The child couldn’t move but looked up at the Captain and uttered the words “Baba, Baba” over and over. Finally the medic grabbed the Captain and told him that this young child was calling him “Daddy”. It was at that moment that this strong, young, single Captain fell so in love with the child he chose to fly back to the U.S, draw up exception papers via the U.S. Supreme Court, and do everything in his power to adopt the nine year old boy. Six months after their original forlorn encounter this young boy hopped on a military transport plane and with a dad at his side flew home to the wealthiest nation in human history.
Our purpose? I think simply to Generate a 2nd chance for people in lonely Southern California. Many of us have lived emaciated lives you know? Lives filled with mistakes, abandonment, loneliness, or spiritual poverty. But, there’s a strong and loving Father who endured cruel conditions so that we could be adopted into His family. Generate exists to share that simple story… the story of adoption by God, the story of having family to do life with, and the story of offering this hope to others. It’s the story of 2nd chances. Feel free to share your 2nd chance stories with us!
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Back in Highschool I had gone through a difficult move and was taken from a place where I was popular and known and moved to the inland empire with absolutely no direction. I made some friends who weren’t the best influence and ended up addicted to pain killers and cutting myself just to numb the pain. I had gotten progressively worse and by the end of my junior year I was on a clear path to destruction. One night with tears in my eyes, screaming out to God and almost provoking him into showing me the proof of his existence I decided that life wasnt worth living. I had no friends, my family was closed off and cold and I had no direction. I was unloved, uncared for and I really thought in my mind that I was a horrible mistake that could never add up to anything. As I popped a handful of pills and held a razorblade to my wrist out of nowhere I had gotten a call. Still crying I picked up the phone and on the other end was a girl from class. I had not talked to her before face to face but apparently she had a feeling that I was going through some hard times and got the impression I could use a friend… I sat quiet on the other end. She told me she knew it was strange and she had gotten my number from a friend who was in a study group with me and just wanted to know if maybe Id want to hang out with her on sunday. She apologized that it was a church day and told me that i could still just go with her family if I was comfortable with that and we could grab lunch afterwards. Needless to say I put down that razorblade and cried.. I knew in my heart God had placed that girl in my life to offer me hope, She is still a good friend today. We went to church the next day and I gave my life to Jesus after a sermon on his unchanging love and indescribable peace. From that day on I havent turned back, I see my walk with him as amazing and there isnt a day that I dont try and make him a part of every single thing I do. I learned that even if you dont have the family and friends that you feel you’d wish you had, that they just arent quite understanding enough or aren’t as interested in being a part of your life as you like.. You can turn to Jesus.. He’s ALWAYS there and he loves you when no one seems to.
Posted by: Mandy // February 17th, 2008 at 8:31 pm