Why?

Why does Renewed Life Ministry WV do what we do?

Why should we care whether children feel secure, clothed, and fed? Why do we care so deeply that single mothers become whole—not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well? Why is it our responsibility as Christians to feed and clothe the poor? Why is it our problem whether a widow or an orphan has food and a safe place to sleep?

Why do so many churches seem to believe in the “us four and no more” mindset that goes back to the age of the Pharisees? Just maybe, we are not only urged to reach out to those who are struggling—but commanded to do so!

Just maybe, I grew up in an environment that made me feel insecure, unsafe, and filled with anxiety. Each new day brought trepidation because of the uncertainties in our young lives. My three brothers, one sister, and I were often woken up in the middle of the night by domestic violence and all that comes with it. At times, we were bundled up, put in the car without knowing where we were going, and laid back down to sleep in someone else’s home. Many nights, the police were called because of the noise, as we tiptoed away from the dinner table, carefully stepping over the glass from broken dishes.

I would grow up to have five children. I was a teen mom, receiving help from different organizations, ministries, and churches. I went through emotional upheaval in marriage from ages 16 to 26, then divorced. I remarried, but I still knew something was missing. I knew Jesus was real, but I had never built a relationship with Him or given Him a second thought.

When we started attending church, I realized that physical needs come and go—but the need for grace, forgiveness, and the knowledge of an eternal destination are the most urgent needs of all.

Why did I go through all that and more? All those life experiences—my childhood, my tumultuous teenage years, becoming a teen mother, an unhealthy marriage, divorce, and the death of my second husband—added layers to the foundation needed to build a ministry that could not only bless others but allow me to truly empathize with those in similar circumstances. It has been a blessing to live through seasons of life that continue to remind me: it is never too late to start over.

So, to answer the question… WHY?

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 (NIV)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ… And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”

Old Testament

• Exodus 22:20–26: “You shall not oppress the poor or vulnerable. God will hear their cry.”

• Leviticus 19:9–10: A portion of the harvest is to be set aside for the poor and the stranger.

• Job 34:20–28: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

• Proverbs 31:8–9: “Speak out in defense of the poor.”

• Proverbs 14:31: “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors Him.”

• Psalm 82:3–4: “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

• Isaiah 58:5–7: True worship involves caring for the poor and oppressed.

New Testament

• Matthew 25:34–40: Jesus describes judgment where the King says to those on His right, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

• Luke 12:33: Jesus encourages giving to the needy to build heavenly treasures.

• 1 John 3:17: “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

• Acts 20:35: Paul recounts Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” in the context of helping the weak.