Episode Transcript
HEAR
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
CONSIDER
Today our Holy Spirit story comes from Sue Volle. Sue is a Jesus Freak (as she describes herself!) and lives a life of generosity and service.
In this story, you'll be encouraged to hear how God turned Sue's life around through steps of faith and obedience. She lives out her life with a heart of gratitude. Below, you can read the story in her own words, and, if you listen, you will hear it in her own voice.
All of my worldly possessions fit into a footlocker at a women’s shelter. Living there for eight months was hard, but I never lost hope in Jesus. He showed up in miracles big and small.
I reluctantly retired from nursing when I could no longer renew my license. In Colorado, you couldn’t be registered with the state unless you had a permanent address. A perfect storm of losing my position as a supervisor to a younger, cheaper, less-experienced nurse combined with outrageous interest rates on my mortgage led me to living in my truck. I had no siblings and my closest relatives were a thousand miles away in the Midwest. I had nothing left in my bank account or gas tank. I lived on a small jar of almonds for four days. That was the first of many miracles.
During a visit to the free clinic, the nurse gave me the name of someone who could help with housing. I was staying with a friend for a month. Time was running out. The third week, I got up the courage to call. Jennifer, the housing counselor, was very nice and said she could get me into a temporary shelter until a Section-8 apartment became available. I arrived at the downtown Denver office to do the paperwork. Jennifer apologized, and said, “When you called, it was my first day on the job. I didn’t know I was supposed to put you on a waiting list.” Homeless clients had been waiting up to eight months to get into the temporary shelter. “I got you a bed at SonShine Shelter for Women."
My heart filled with gratitude. I moved in the following week. That was the second miracle. I don’t know if it was easier for me because I didn’t have children or a pet. I had homeless friends who struggled to feed their babies. I do know that taking the bus to church every Sunday gave me the strength to endure. I didn’t want to ask my family for help. I was taught that when you are going through a rough patch, you grit your teeth and pull yourself up by the bootstraps. With tears in my eyes, I used the public computer at the library to email my Aunt Lila and ask for advice. She didn’t understand my hopeless situation, but she knew I needed Jesus. I began reading a Bible she sent me. It was the only book I owned. I learned there is a big difference between hearing the gospel and reading it. The stories began to come to life.
The shelter provided meals and a roof over my head, but there was little protection from the drama. Some women had been released from prison and had nowhere to go. The others had escaped domestic violence, sometimes brutal. Many returned to their abusers, continuing the cycle. I slept in a room with nineteen others. The woman closest to me was six months pregnant and would get up and curse anyone who snored at 3:00 am.
I learned to trust absolutely no one. Trust only goes so far. Some of my stuff was stolen. When I confronted the thief, she lied and threatened to turn me in for leaving the building after hours. A violation which led to automatic expulsion. Shortly thereafter, she was kicked out for possession of drugs discovered in a surprise inspection. I learned the rules quickly. In the homeless community, if you need help from someone, you must be prepared to pay them back with interest. As the only woman with a vehicle, I provided rides. Lots of them.
The staff liked me because I was willing to do extra cleaning chores. Besides the mandatory toilet scrubbing, I asked if I could help in the kitchen or mop the dining room. The prison girls said I was just kissing ass but, in reality, I was clinging to sanity.
I was sent to a more intimate shelter with seven other women. We attended mandatory daily group therapy sessions and weekly private ones. I learned there were deep-seated emotions driving my poor choices which brought me to homelessness.
This shelter used a permanent address, so I started getting food stamps. Before Covid, we were allowed to cash-out a portion of the monthly payment. Scripture teaches that God will bless us if we give 10 percent of our income to the church. It sounded superstitious at the time, but I was desperate. I wondered if it would work at my church. Ten percent of my $200/month allowance was given to the church. The remaining $180 was for groceries. I was able to buy all the food I wanted. I was too embarrassed to go to the food bank. I went to the store like normal people. I was never hungry. Another miracle.
Aunt Lila continued sending me scriptures and memory verses. I kept reading my Bible and tithing. I noticed my prayers had changed. Instead of pleading for help, I began to pray with gratitude to the Lord. I was grateful for the most basic of human needs. Shelter, food I didn’t cook, a sense of purpose while doing mundane chores, opportunities to share what little money I had with my tiny church.
I signed a lease for a Section-8 apartment of my own, but no job. I felt useless. My new case manager arranged for me to volunteer at a thrift store. I knew nothing about the retail world, but I was a hard worker. After a year, I became an employee. By earning $14 an hour on a part-time schedule, I was able to get off food stamps. I increased my tithe to church. I was blessed with the ability to pay rent and utilities, buy groceries, and save extra every month.
My parents had always taught me the importance of charity. After the first year on my own, I gave an extra $400 to the church as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. I never went broke. This was yet another miracle, among many I was blessed with.
Today, I am a water-baptized, Holy Spirit–filled, Jesus Freak. I fully believe we are blessed to be a blessing. With a full-time job, I have been able to sponsor a friend’s mission trip to Puerto Rico. I currently serve as a deacon at my new church. I help deliver meals and work at the food bank. I look forward to sharing my faith with whoever God brings into my life.
PRAY
Lord, we come to you with gratitude and praise. You are the one that fulfills our needs in every area of our lives. Don't let us take your goodness and faithfulness for granted. Show us how you've provided for us recently. Your Word says that we enter into your courts with thanksgiving and praise. Today we enter in with this heart posture. Continue to form us into a people that live a life of gratitude.
