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A Long Obedience: Judy's Faith Journey- Part 2
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A Long Obedience: Judy's Faith Journey- Part 2

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Hi friends!  On today’s episode of Draw Near to Me, we will continue Judy’s faith journey.  For those who prefer to read, today’s content is also posted below.  I love the story she shares about her angel encounter.  It reminds me of how God protects us in many different ways.  I also found it exciting to see the way God had woven all her experiences over the years together to equip her for where He would eventually lead her.   In each individual moment, we may not recognize what God is doing, but sometimes, when we look back, we get a glimpse of the beauty of how He works all things together.  If you enjoy this post, please like it and share it with others using the share button below.  With that, let’s dive into Judy’s story. Enjoy!

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When my 3 sons were little, we talked a lot about angels and angels unaware.   I remember I used to hate traveling over the bridges in Florida when the kids were in the car.  My 2 little ones were still in car seats and my oldest sat in between them in the back bench seat.  I worried about going off the bridge into the water.  I even had a hammer under the seat to knock out the window if needed.  I talked to my boys about what to do in case of an emergency, but of course they were not nearly as worried as I was about what to do if the car went off the bridge.  

One day I was driving across the Buckman Bridge with all 3 of my little boys in the back.  The bridge itself spanned about 3 miles for busy interstate traffic to cross over the St. Johns River.  Back then, it was only two lanes going one direction and two lanes going the other direction.  There was not much room to pull over if something happened, there was maybe half a lane at best. 

As I was driving across the bridge, the tire of the car blew out without warning.  I quickly moved the car over as fast as I could to the side, but we still obstructed about half of one of the driving lanes.  My boys and I were sitting in the car, and I was thinking, “Oh my gosh, what are we going to do?”  Suddenly, this truck pulled up behind us and this guy jumped out.  I rolled down the window and told him what happened.  He immediately went and changed the tire on our car.  He came up and said, “OK! You’re all okay.”  I thought it was so neat that he took care of us, but when I turned to talk to him, he was gone.  He just disappeared.  There was no trace of him or his truck. 

There was no way he could have turned his truck around on the bridge.  It was also impossible for him to have passed us on the road without us seeing him.  My boys were excited and asked, “Mom! Do you think that was an angel?”  I said, “It had to be an angel.  He is gone! He’s completely gone!” 

It was incredible to see God sending an angel to help.  What was even more wonderful was that my children got to experience it as well.  Even though my boys are now grown, they still recall that event as proof of God’s care and love for us.  We truly believe that God sent an angel to get us safely off that bridge.  I want to take a moment to encourage others to share these types of stories they experience in their lives with their children and grandchildren.  When we tell them about these experiences, it reminds them of the faithfulness of God in their lives. 

Throughout the years, God allowed me to do wonderful things that prepared me for my current position as CEO of First Coast Women’s Services.  After homeschooling my children for several years, I went back to work.  I taught a program that used computer assisted instruction to prepare students for the GED.  I did that for about five years.  Then I taught math at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) for many years and ran to become a St. Johns County School Board member. 

I was on the school board for two terms, which totaled 8 years.  From the start, I told the constituency that I was only doing 2 terms because my kids would no longer be in the schools after that.  It was a wonderful school board.  When the time came to step down, I prayed that another Christian would step into that role.  I asked my friend Bev, who worked in the school system, if she would consider running.  She said yes, and she is still there today!  It was such a blessing to know that God filled my position with this great person when I left.  I could see how God worked through each piece. 

After leaving the school board, I worked for Project SOS, which was a 501c3 ministry teaching abstinence from sex, drugs, and alcohol.  We were running the program in Christian schools and churches.  SOS received a grant to run the program in all the public middle schools and high schools throughout Duval, Clay, and Nassau Counties.   It was a wonderful program and it worked.  However, like many grants, when we achieved the goals, the funding agency felt like everything was completed.  They did not renew the grant.  As a result, the ministry was unable to continue in the same way.  My position overlapped with someone else.  Since I had more flexibility in my career with my past teaching experience and more alternative options, I told Pam, the director, that I would step down since funding was tight.  With that, I said goodbye and began teaching at Bartram Trail High School.

During those years, there was another story being told as I moved through my own life.  In the early 1990s there was a couple living in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville.  They did not know their teenage daughter was sexually active until she became pregnant.  They were a strong Christian family and after recovering from the initial shock, they were determined to help their daughter. 

Although their church was very supportive, there were no other resources for their daughter when they looked around the city.   They began driving several hours back and forth to Orlando where there was a crisis pregnancy center.  Their daughter was able to receive more mentorship and care through that center.  It helped her throughout her pregnancy.  After delivering her baby, she created an adoption plan with the center and placed the baby with a wonderful family in Georgia.  That little baby has since grown to become a lovely, wonderful, young woman.

After that experience, the mother wanted to create a local center, in Jacksonville, that would help other girls in the same way.  She started by reaching out to an organization, which later became Care Net, and receiving a thin little manual on how to start a crisis pregnancy center.  So, in 1992, she gathered the Christian community around her, raised money, and began First Coast Women’s Services.  It was slow at first.  They went through the incorporation process and became a 501c3 non-profit, but didn’t see their first client until 2 years later in 1994.  Over the years they gradually grew.  By the year 2000, they purchased a building that was renovated for no cost by the North Florida Builders Association.  It was the first center and remains First Coast Women’s Service’s largest and busiest center.

People were driving into the Mandarin center from the beach area to volunteer.  They began to ask for a center to be established in that area as well.  Once again, the church community came together.  In 2005, a new center was launched in the beach area. 

First Coast Women’s Services was small, but it was run very well.  By 2007, the Board of Directors decided they wanted to change the structure to a more business-like model.  For the first time, they began looking for a CEO.  That‘s where my story intersected with this one.

First Coast Women’s Services called together a group of six men to help think of people they might want to consider as CEO.   The men were from all over the region including St. Johns County, Duval County, and Clay County.  Some were pastors, others were businessmen.  Yet somehow, each one of them knew me.  Two knew me because I was a pastor’s wife for over 25 years.  Another knew me because he was the head of Student Venture, the Campus Crusade for Christ high school ministry, and I was on his board.  Two knew me because they lived in St. Johns County and had voted for me twice to be on the school board.  Finally, one knew me for many years as a friend and neighbor.  I was the only one that all 6 knew, although they didn’t even all know each other.  As a result, First Coast decided to reach out and ask me if I would consider applying for the CEO position. 

I learned early on to pray about every big decision.  Whether we think we want to do it or not, we need to spend time praying about it.  I prayed about it and prayed together with my husband.  Ultimately, I decided that this was what the Lord wanted me to do. 

Looking back over my life I could see how God prepared me to be CEO over the years.  Through Project SOS I had knowledge about sexually transmitted infections and knew how to talk to young people about abstinence and purity.  I had been on the school board, which made me comfortable with making decisions, even tough ones, and administrative jobs.  From being a Young Life leader in college, I knew how to work with teenagers.  Even being a pastor’s wife for years, gave me the experience of leaning into God, seeking His guidance, and being patient while waiting for God’s timing.  God used all of it to help prepare me for the new role of heading up this nonprofit ministry. 

In 2007, I was officially hired.  I will soon be in my 17th year of serving as the CEO of First Coast Women’s Services.  I absolutely love it.  We help women who are facing unplanned pregnancies.  We do this through education, love, and allowing the love of Jesus to flow through our volunteers and staff that meet our clients.  We never pressure our clients, rather we help young women understand the choices they have.  When clients come in and talk with us, with permission, we get an opportunity to share information with them. 

Over the years, I have seen many women felt forced to choose abortion because of their circumstances.  At First Coast, we try to help them navigate through those obstacles.  We know it must be their own decision on what path to take, so we simply approach them with education and love.  It’s our goal to empower our clients to make an informed choice about their pregnancy.  If the opportunity arises, with permission, we share about the God who loves them.  In the end, we do always hope they will choose life for the life that is within them and to choose Christ for themselves. 

God has really blessed this ministry.  When I was first hired, we had six staff members including myself, and we have just kept growing.  At every point we have been leaning hard into God and asked, “What do you want us to do?”  We do not want to run ahead of God and do anything that He hasn’t given us His full go ahead on and blessing to do.    

I often say God shows up and then God shows off.  I have seen it so many times in this ministry.  God has performed miracle after miracle.  We expanded with the help of local pastors and churches.  God has blessed us with finding favor with the churches. In 2007 we opened a center in Maccleny and then in 2009 we opened another one in Clay County. 

At this point, we paused.  We recognized that there was a need for a center downtown, but how were we going to do it?  Just when it seemed we might have hit an impasse with our plan, God showed up.

To be continued.

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