Lisa was spinning out of control. The young girl we met a couple of years before who laughed and loved life had vanished.

Lisa’s Story

On a typical day, service is provided to nearly 300 individuals ranging in age from infants to senior citizens, all needing love and support regardless of what stage they are in their lives. Some need more love and support than others, and this means some people who are considered unlovable.

Lisa was no different as a young child when she walked through the doors of our community center. Lisa started at Wesley-Rankin Community Center when she was 11 years of age. She was full of wonder and eager to please the staff at the center. When watching Lisa interact with peers, there was a sense of maturity not uncommon with some children in the West Dallas community when they are left to provide their fundamental needs.

By 5th grade, she was responsible for getting herself and her younger sister ready for school. As time passed, Lisa became less interested in her own education and by 6th grade she started skipping school. Less than half way through the 7th grade, Lisa was arrested for truancy.

Lisa was spinning out of control. The young girl we met a couple of years before who laughed and loved life had vanished. She was now a bitter, untrusting child who believed everyone despised her and saw her as a failure.

Constant meetings with her mother and the school principal resulted in very little change. Until one Wednesday morning, when she realized all of the trouble she had caused in last 12 weeks was being presented to a judge of the truancy court.

Wesley-Rankin staff members were present to offer support as we watched this defiant young girl reduced to tears as the judge retained her in the juvenile detention hall. This Wednesday morning, we were faced the reality that our hands were tied. We had done everything we could think of to help Lisa make better decisions and realize she was a child of God. We prayed she would ask for God's help.

Lisa was remained in custody for several days and returned to Wesley-Rankin the following Monday. Something approaching a miracle occurred when she returned. She announced to the staff that she accepted the love and support that was being offered. She apologized for her poor behavior and wanted to meet with the school principal to apologize for her past transgressions and turn over a new leaf.

The principal was less than enthusiastic about the meeting with his troubled student. After listening to her apology and statement that she wanted to start over and earn his respect, he simply illustrated on a blank piece of paper that he believed she would never be able to dig herself out of the enormous hole she had created. Everyone present listened in disbelief. With one sentence, he crushed this young girl and left her in tears with a sense of hopelessness.

When this youth faced her past demons and was faced with the unachievable, we simply held her as she cried. And, the real miracle began to happen as Lisa realized the strength of Christ's love and knew she could be the person we had told her over and over again she could be and that she was in God's eyes.

She could prove the principal wrong. She wanted to show her little sister, Maria, who was starting to follow in her older sister's footsteps and making poor choices, that when faced with adversity, she too could overcome. That day marked the turning point in Lisa's life. She decided to apply herself in school and to visualize herself as being successful.

We are pleased that this story has a happy ending. Lisa is now in high school and is exploring college possibilities. Her younger sister is excelling in academics and still looks to her older sister for direction.

Lisa recognizes that we are here not only to love her, but to assist her as well when she counters the impossible. She still faces many challenges; however, she confronts them with the knowledge that she is special and she can make a difference.