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Almost three years ago, Beth Smith's marriage ended. As the bitter reality of divorce sank in, Beth searched for support and encouragement from her church—but found neither. "Nobody knew what to say when my husband left me, and I didn't know another Christian who could empathize with me. I kept thinking, If only I had a place to run away and hide." And while a place to get away to begin healing didn't exist for Beth, it now exists for others because of her.
Shortly after her divorce, Beth heard about other divorced women who voiced a need for a place to rest and spend time with God. As a full-time nurse practitioner, Beth didn't have a lot of free time but knew God would bless her efforts. So she decided to open her suburban Chicago home as a free "resort" for women who needed time away to think, pray, and work through their emotional pain.
Beth spread the word through her friends. Soon, women began showing up at her door. During a guest's stay, Beth tends to all her needs. "I want my guests to feel special. However, when I ask a visitor what she'd like to eat, she can hardly respond—she hasn't been asked what she wants for so long," Beth explains. The women who come decide their agenda. Beth's available to talk, or they can be alone.
Most women visit for a weekend, but Beth lets them stay as long as they want. "Eventually I'd like to host more than one woman at a time," she says. "My dream is to have a place in the country that's available any day of the week. But for now, I fund this project with my paycheck. It's God's money anyway, and if he can use it this way—great!"
One guest—who's visited twice—says she's able to grow closer to God when she rests from her daily routine. Also, talking about their similar di-vorces has forged a friendship between the two women and has allowed Beth's guest to see that God does heal the broken-hearted. "I leave refreshed and ready to watch God work in my life," Beth's guest says.
Beth's desire is to see good come out of her own pain. "When you go through a divorce, your family's ripped apart, and the things you once lived for—to be a good wife and mother—aren't there anymore. You wonder whether you're worth anything. But as I see God at work in this ministry, I realize, I am valuable! My goal is to give hurting women a break and to show them they're valuable, too."
Copyright © 2002 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian Woman magazine.
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