“Maybe I really CAN go to college!” The words were said in astonished excitement. After a few days of being frustrated with learning about negative numbers in math class, one of our Courage House princesses conquered the test with a perfect score. The hours of extra tutoring paid off; she had mastered those daunting negative numbers. And while to many it may just look like “one more test in school” this was a tremendous milestone for this young girl. She had wanted to give up. It was one more reminder of what she thought she couldn’t do. But she is beginning to learn that she doesn’t have to tackle these difficult obstacles alone anymore. She now has patient and loving people around her that are willing to help her, encourage her, and believe with her for what feels impossible.
On a daily basis our girls are conquering their “impossibilities.” Whether it’s finishing their school assignments, talking out their frustrations instead of fighting, swimming for the first time, or facing emotions and experiencing feelings that are new and uncomfortable, they are facing their fears head on. They are constantly exerting a tremendous amount of courage as they dare to believe in themselves and trust other people. They are welcoming words of affirmation, and although they sometimes have a hard time believing it to be true, the encouraging words are slowly beginning to drown out the negative tapes that have played in their heads for years.
We find ourselves laughing (and sometimes crying) when they spontaneously burst out with comments such as the one above, because we know that it is evidence that they really are forming a new belief system about themselves.
We genuinely believe that nothing is impossible for these girls. Whether it’s conquering negative numbers or negative thoughts and memories, our girls are proving that they can overcome anything. It is a privilege to walk out these new challenges and experiences with them on a day-to-day basis. We truly are watching God raise the dead. We are seeing dreams revived, joy restored and destinies surface.
We look forward to the day where we can throw party poppers as these girls walk across the stage at their college graduations! We pray that the cheers of their Courage House family will echo in their hearts and minds for many years to come!