The Refuge Center is an amazing ministry in our local community. Started by Amy Alexander and Jennifer Gillett in 2005, The Refuge Center has grown to over 70+ Counselors on its staff. What is so amazing to me is that The Refuge Center provides counseling on a sliding scale. This allows them to serve people from all socio-economic levels and makes this ministry so impactful. The amount of people Refuge has helped in our community is immeasurable. I am so thankful to partner with such a Christ-centered healing ministry in our community.
For way too long, people have had a stigma associated with counseling. Many people tend to think that they can do things on their own. They think it shows weakness to ask others for help. So, they try to fight through the struggles of life and hide the feelings of hurt, pain, and loss. And, in the process, they find themselves falling deeper and deeper into isolation, worry, and fear. The problem is that when a person is unhealthy, then it impacts everyone around them. When a parent is struggling, then imagine the impact on the child, the marriage, and the entire family. We all need help in different seasons of our life.
What is interesting is that we grow up with teachers, coaches, and pastors. We grew up knowing we need help to learn math or science. We grew up needing a coach to show us how to play sports or a music teacher to show us how to play the piano. We grew up wanting someone to teach us the Bible. But, when we grow older, we think we can do life on our own. We then beat ourselves up when we struggle. Counseling is simply having someone walk alongside us. Someone to teach us about marriage, parenting, and even how to deal with the struggles of our own life. We all need someone to speak into us.
In our own community, people are struggling. Men especially. Almost every suicide in Williamson County over the past two years has been a man. There is so much pressure on men to provide for their families and excel in their jobs, and most men struggle under this weight. Marriages in our county are suffering. The divorce rate between Christian marriages and non-Christian marriages is almost the same. We need help to have strong marriages. Teenagers are also struggling. There’s peer pressure, social media, unrealistic expectations in school, and an opioid crisis. There are many teenagers who feel overwhelmed with life. We all need help and hope today.
Enter The Refuge Center. Refuge comes alongside people of all ages. Refuge gives wisdom, advice, and a godly perspective. Refuge, as the name suggests, brings peace in the midst of the storms of life. Refuge heals and restores. Every year, Amy Alexander, the Executive Director of Refuge, and her team host an event called, “Hope Grows.” This is such a powerful night to hear stories from actual clients who have found healing and hope through Refuge. I love being at this event and celebrating the stories of life change. This year’s event is extra special because Refuge is raising money to build a brand new counseling and retreat center. I have seen the plans. I have walked and prayed over the site. And, now I am joining with Refuge to ask God to pour out His blessings and provide the necessary funding to build this new center.
Will you join me in praying for Refuge and for our community? Will you be open to healing in your own life if you need counseling? Reach out to Refuge if you are going through a struggle in your life or refer someone in your sphere of influence so they can experience hope and healing in their own life. For example, if you impact a man for Christ, then you impact a marriage, children, a church, a community, and generations. This is the hope and healing God wants to bring through Jesus and through His people growing in Christ together. Our God is at work in our community. Let’s join together and make a difference today. Hope grows!