A few months back I celebrated my 10th year as a Buckner employee.

Reflecting on the past years, my convictions remind me this has never been just a job for me. It is a ministry and lives are truly transformed.

During my tenure I have worked with different programs and have witnessed God’s hand at work. Miracles happen at Buckner all the time.

I currently work with single parents, helping them get back on their feet.  Buckner offers a transitional housing program called Family Place with a concentration on education. Displaced homeless mothers come to us from the battered women’s shelter and other referrals.

Recently, a Family Place teenage girl resident came into my office and said, “Ms. Anna, you have to help this family! There is a boy in my class and he is very sad. He lives in a shelter and is scared. Time is running out and he doesn’t know where they are going to stay next. He told me that his mom had put in an application to another shelter called Buckner. I told him, ‘I LIVE THERE! And it ain’t no shelter, it’s a home!’”

I asked her, “What does Buckner mean to you?”  She replied, “It is a home, a place where we are safe. It’s not only for moms but for all us kids here. Buckner means opportunity—-where else would I ever be exposed to the things I have done?” This girl gets it! And so do the other kids that live at Family Place.

I have worked with all types of people and I am always impressed at how the children get it! The children who live at Family Place know that they are safe and well taken care of. They are future Ambassadors for Buckner. There is no greater reward than to witness your fruits of labor unfold right before your very eyes.

“May our young sons be like plants that are full-grown. And may our daughters be like the corner pieces of a great house.” (Psalm 144:12)

Anna Rodriquez is the program coordinator for Buckner Family Place in Midland, Texas.
Prayer Requests:
- God, help single parents in Buckner Family Place in Midland to hand their burdens over to you and trust you to sustain them.
- God, help us to remember the generosity you have shown us, and, in remembering, help us to demonstrate generosity in all aspects of our own lives.
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If you are interested in submitting a devotional for Buckner Faith Focus, please e-mail lhollon@buckner.org.

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