Grace arrived in our lives on a Sunday morning. Too frightened to say where she had come from, too frightened to tell us very much at all – but we knew she had been hurt and that she had nowhere to go that felt safe. So we did our best to help.
Over the last 20 years I have become increasingly aware that it takes a whole Christian community to love and care for the poor. One or two compassionate people is just not enough.
I think God deliberately designed it that way, perhaps so we wouldn't become proud. Perhaps because together we reveal a far more beautiful picture of God, the one who has always lived in a perfect, loving community – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
When Sam spotted Grace on the road just near his house, he didn't drive by and just send up a quick arrow prayer for this desperate lady. He wasn't too busy to stop. Sam's heart went out and he took her home to his family. Nicci welcomed her in, gave her some food, poured out her love. The children didn't bat an eyelid that there was a visitor in the house at such an early time of day.
I arrived a short time later so Nicci could get a shower. Together with Grace we tried to work out a plan. We rang and texted and messaged people who might be able to help. We prayed and we chatted and we tried to offer hope in our voices to this lady who looked like she had lost all of her own.
When I had to leave for the church service that I was involved in that morning, Ellie went over to help support Nicci. When later on Nicci needed to get her children ready to go to the church service that she was involved in, I took Grace back to my house. We were a tag team.
So many time Grace clutched my hands as she tried to pluck up the courage to tell me what had happened to her. The words just couldn't come out. We wonder if Grace is being exploited in some way. Tom and the children arrived home and they didn't mind that an unexpected visitor was in their home, but the kids knew instinctively they should play quietly upstairs. I couldn't leave Tom alone with Grace but I was busting for the loo so Laura came over. Another friend in our church community.
To cut a long story short, later that day Laura and Gill were able to take Grace to a women's refuge. I was asleep by 8.30pm exhausted from the day's activities – but not before I munched on some of the treats that mysteriously came through the letter box that evening.
At this moment in time I do not know what will happen to Grace. I know God brought her to us.
It took a whole load of us to love her and support her and to love and support each other while we tried our best to do that.
God knows we have limited capacity. God knows we have children to care for and churches to serve in. We have jobs to do and homes to run but when everyone works together to love each other and support each, with God's power we can do so much more.
Today I am so grateful that nobody was too busy to help.
Lizzie Bassford is a wife, mum and missionary living in inner-city Manchester. Follow her on Twitter @captivated01.
