When Kurt got home from work, I shared the conversation I had with Hope. We had mixed feelings about helping him; I knew there was a chance my mother would cause trouble. Putting that issue aside, we prepared for his arrival. When Hope arrived, my mother was with him, and I immediately recognized the challenges ahead. Kurt and I did our best to encourage Hope and affirm his decision to stop using drugs. Yet, I could see that my mother was only making his choice harder.
Over the next few days, we took every opportunity to study Scripture with Hope and reminded him of his worth in God’s eyes. During this time, Hope shared with us about his Christian grandmother, who had treated him with kindness and continually prayed for his freedom. Her passing had really shaken him. We assured him he wasn’t alone anymore; we were his new family. Unfortunately, our conversations often got cut short because my mother kept calling for him every few minutes.
My mother rarely left the room they were staying in. It was clear that she wasn’t happy with Hope’s choice to quit the party lifestyle. She threw daily temper tantrums, trying to convince Hope to leave with her. Eventually, he would tire of trying to reason with her and would go out to the orchard. I tried to reason with my mother as well, but to no avail.
When Hope first started working in the orchard, I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t want him to feel like he owed us anything. I even asked him to stop, but he responded by saying, “No, he was taking care of his family.” I was taken aback by the sincerity of his response, realizing what a blessing he was to us. Hope was grateful for the simple things that I often took for granted, like a home-cooked meal, a warm bath, and a comfortable bed. He enjoyed spending time in the sunshine and working in the orchard. I would sometimes watch him from the windows as he sang and danced around the yard; his joy was immense.
