Blessed in the Midst

Hello, and welcome to the summer edition of our 2021 Messenger. Thank you for taking the time to read the stories and updates related to exciting happenings within our ministries!

We live in interesting times; some might say times of uncertainty. As you read through these pages you will grow to understand how uncertainty can lead to great opportunities. I am so excited about our partnership with Bluebonnet Youth Ranch, a great organization that has been a blessing to so many children since 1970. Bluebonnet reached a crossroads within their model of care due to uncertainty that was not their own doing. A changing environment of child welfare in Texas has left many organizations wondering how to continue to meet needs.

A huge thank you to everyone that made our first annual Week of Hope such a glowing success. Not only did we meet our $200,000 goal for funds raised, but we were able to connect with and see so many partners through our programs in many of our locations. We are already seeing the “fruits of our labors” as partnership seeds have been planted, watered and are now growing in ways that will help children and families in their time of need.

As you read you will see the end result of so much work and effort. These stories are not possible without a committed and dedicated team of people that desire to be used by God. We have a team that excels in the midst of calamity. A typical response in times of trouble is to turn and run. We know we are to be joyful and rejoice in the face of calamity, because we know the outcome. This should be our response in any time of trouble. God always has a purpose for the good of all involved, even if it is masked in our challenges.

In Psalm 46, the psalmist’s (David) first response is “Therefore we will not fear.” It sounds so simple. But we all know it is not that easy. Most of us have not been in the kind of circumstances David was in. We don’t know when he wrote this psalm, but he was speaking with the confidence of someone who had experienced God’s presence in times of trouble: in the face of a bear or lion, standing before Goliath, running for his life from Saul and facing the enemy numerous times in battle. We can count on David’s testimony. God will be there, and He will be our refuge and strength.

We have looked at the storm and at the Lord of the storm, who is in total control of events and is very present with us. He cherishes being “in the midst,” especially in stormy times. What about us?
Where does He want us? He wants us “in the midst” too. Even though God is our refuge and a safe place to run to, He is a refuge IN the storm. When times are tough and the storm is at its fiercest,
where is the greatest need? It is in the midst of the chaos.

God wants us to depend on Him in the chaos. It is there He is best seen, and His presence in us is best realized. May the Lord prepare us for the days ahead, that we may be ready and able to meet the need of the hour. What joy and excitement it brings me to know we at STCH Ministries are meeting the needs of so many in the middle of the storms!