One of our young ladies graduated from the program recently, and I met her parents when they came to participate in the celebration. They shared some details with me about the transformation they saw in their daughter. The day before they had asked her, “What makes the Ranch so special to you?” They said they expected her to say “the people here”, or “my relationship with my mentor”, or something similar. Instead, she simply said, “Jesus.”
That brought tears to my eyes. As a leader here, it gave me great joy. I think this is the best thing I could ever hear about the Ranch. I also agree with her: Jesus is why the Ranch is so special to me, too.
When this young lady had initially arrived at the Ranch, she was in a very different place. When her mentor would ask her what her thoughts about Jesus were, she had a much different one-word answer: “No.” She didn’t even want to talk or hear about Jesus.
The Ranch is a place for those who have experienced terrible pain, loss, and trouble. But the power of the Gospel and Jesus’ all-conquering love evidenced on the cross is in no way nullified by the depths of our trouble. Instead, the redemption we witness at the Ranch only makes Jesus’ love even more precious and beautiful to me. Not only does He save us from our sin and redeem us for eternity; as if that weren’t enough already, He is also able to bring to life the parts of our hearts that become deadened by darkness and damage. Due to His great kindness, He often uses people in this healing work.
The young lady’s answer to her parents was very wise. She values the friends she made here, but she’s also fully aware that, as a community of forty to fifty people, we daily make mistakes in action, word, and heart. These mistakes create yet more sadness and trouble. But God redeems even these mistakes, and uses them to remind us again and again that what we really need is Jesus. He is the only one who is able to make this place special!
