The Gift of Hope

Every summer around this time we get a lot of requests for Habitat speakers to provide a 3-5 minute talk to motivate and inspire congregations as they prepare for their upcoming build.

This weekend Habitat was asked to speak at King of Kings Lutheran Church, a member of Habitat’s ELF Coalition. I asked Habitat Homeowner, Benjeana Jack to be the speaker for the 9:15 am Sunday morning service. While it’s very clear to most the impact that Habitat has on our community and the partner families who purchase the home, I think we sometimes forget the impact Habitat families have on all of us. 

Benjeana introduced herself and her two sons to the congregation and then proceeded to tell her Habitat story for the next few minutes. As a single parent more than 50% of her income was used to provide housing for her family before becoming a Habitat Partner. She mentioned that because of Habitat she was able to provide more stability for her boys. They didn’t have to move from place to place once the lease was up. She also said that stability allowed her to go back to school and complete not one but three degrees. 

In the middle her speech the tears starting flowing, not just Benjeana’s but several of the members of the congregation were also crying tears of hope. Hope for Benjeana’s family and all the other Habitat families just like hers. 

Once the service was over, lots of members wanted to shake her hand and tell her what a blessing she had been. There was one woman from the congregation who hugged Benjeana and refused to let go. Through her tears she said that her husband recently left her and their three sons. She said that she didn’t know how she was going to make it until she heard Benjeana’s story. Hearing Benjeana’s story gave her hope that she could get through this difficult time and be the single parent that her three boys needed.

While a lot people know their donation of time and money are a tremendous gift to Habitat families, let us not forget the gift of hope that these families give back to us.

Tracie McPherson