The Prodigal

After Maddie left, we didn’t have to wait long for our next long-term roomie- God brought her within the week. Her name was Natasha, and she was coming from Nevada and needed a place to stay while she looked for a more permanent home.

Natasha had grown up “Christian,” but had a rough childhood. Both her parents were alcoholics and her mom killed herself when Natasha was 12. These are things I can’t even imagine. When she came to live with me, she was completely content with her faith. She literally had no idea that there was more to be had. Her plan was to come to college and live the typical college life. But over the weeks she started to grow curious about things, beginning with the basics and eventually grilling me with questions from “What is baptism?" to “Why does God talk to you and not me?”

Natasha

Of course, throughout her time here I was praying for something big to happen in her heart- something that has happened with every girl who has come through here and that I know God desires for them. Finally, she found a place to move- in I.V. If you’re not informed about I.V, go back and read my first post. I am so in love with that little town, but am also aware that it’s not for everyone. So, I began to pray the bold, specific prayers I first became acquainted with at Ellerslie. Namely, that she would not leave my house without one of those crazy, life-altering changes that God always seems to have up His sleeve. And that it would happen by Wednesday, the day she was moving out.

And then, she moved out. Nothing had happened. As soon as my sneaky little mind had time to conjure up the thought, “Why didn’t God do it?” He responded with, “Blessed are those who have not seen and still have believed.” Well, that solved it, He did do it. I just didn’t know what it was yet. This supernatural conversation took place throughout work on Thursday, and just as I was heading home, I got a call from her. In tears.

“Are you going to be home soon? I need to talk… can I move back in?”

I wasn’t surprised, but I was still overwhelmed with emotion. Because He is faithful every.single.time. Without fail. Regardless of me.

She came home and explained that in the past week, God had made it abundantly clear that He was putting a choice in front of her, she had come to a fork in her life. He had showed her it was her way or His. How many times have I prayed Jim Elliot’s prayer, “Father, make of me a crisis man. Make me a fork, so that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.” She decided to go her own way… but after only one night had fallen at the foot of the cross and ran back into His arms.

A few days later, she explained when the stirring in her heart had begun. She had no interest in growing in her faith, and no idea that’s what was in store for her. The first day she moved in with me, we had a going away party at our house for one of my friends from Adorn. (In case I haven’t explained, Adorn is my church’s Friday night service for twenty-somethings, and is the most amazing thing I have ever been a part of on earth.) Natasha told me about how she was excited for the party because she was going to get to meet a ton of people her age. What she wasn’t expecting was that all anyone at the party wanted to talk about was God.

“You guys talked about God like most people gossip,” she said. “At first I thought it was just you, but I kept going up to different groups of people, and it was always the same. It was like He was the center of your lives, and everything you did had to do with Him. You just can’t be around people like that and not want what they have.”

Adorn

Whoa. Isn’t it crazy the things He uses to drastically change lives? Here we are, 100 twenty-somethings thinking we’re gathered just to eat food and hang out, not realizing He is using our normal, everyday conversation to bring His prodigal daughter home.