I started serving with Revive Us about a year ago. Jodie was one of the first people I met that lived in the woods, and she was the only female I met during the first couple of months. She was always smiling, always grateful, and always wanting to pray together. She was so thankful for the food and water, as well as for a Bible and a copy of Jesus Calling that we brought to her. She lived with a lot of men. I couldn’t help but to take her aside to ask, “Are you safe?” She reassured me that she was. Stories unfolded over time… she only had one eye. Jodie had lost an eye in an awful car accident with her husband. Prior to covid she had a glass eye, but it was lost while living in the woods.

Her husband passed away, not from their accident, but later on. She has a daughter and a granddaughter. Eventually Jodie and a friend secured an apartment. We have continued to keep in touch, though not on a weekly basis. Jodie will always hold a special place in my heart. Her smile and pleasant outlook on life – even when her life was spiraling downhill – was heartwarming and inspirational. One thing that our community experiences so very often is that although we set out to love and bless others, over and over again we experience amazing blessings ourselves.