Maggie
To know Maggie today is to know a woman of determination, joy and grace. This is all due to the work of Jesus in her life.
In the midst of a childhood full of instability and a household of drugs and alcohol, Maggie recalls the love and care shown to her by her grandparents. She fully believes introducing her to Christ was the best thing that her grandma could have ever done for her. Receiving salvation at a young age, Maggie had the foundation of a life built on Jesus.
However, as she moved into adulthood, she did not have the basic tools or resources needed to embark on a life of success. She had been taught and came to believe that her sole purpose was to become a wife, which ushered her into a slew of unhealthy relationships for the next 13 years. By the time she reached her early twenties, she had given birth to four children by four different men. At age 26, she began experimenting in drugs and alcohol, a life she had grown up to know as normal, which began her descent toward rock bottom.
The drugs quickly took control of her life. She lost her job, her home, her driver's license and her car. The most devastating loss was her children, along with her hope. For the next three years, she experienced homelessness, sleeping under bridges and in trees.
She soon began her journey back home to central Oklahoma. She was now clean and, again, pregnant. She needed and wanted to be in a place to raise her baby in a healthy environment. She needed a fresh start. She made her way to Grace Home, which was a time of healing, learning and redefining. The next step in the process of regaining custody of her other children was to move to Children’s Hope at the Oklahoma City campus of Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children. While there, she continued to intentionally grow in her relationship with God as she relentlessly pursued goals that enabled her to build a healthy life for her family. Also during her time there, she continued to gain the tools and resources needed to lead a life of success as defined by Jesus.
Today, Maggie knows her purpose is to grow in the likeness of Christ and to disciple her children. Maggie now gets to be the one to ensure stability for her family. Maggie gets to be a part of instilling the truths of scripture into the lives of her children. The impact of this treasured responsibility has led to her daughters, Scarlet* and Clara*, and her son, Jake*, placing their faith in Jesus, with Scarlet and Jake being baptized in 2022 and Clara in 2023. Maggie is blown away by the undeniable growth in her children’s self-worth and identity over the last year. The best is yet to come for Maggie and her beautiful family.
*Names changed to protect their privacy.