A Backpack Provides a Breakthrough
His grandmother, Inez, was finally able to get custody of Robert, but she was horrified to discover that he had been the victim of sexual abuse while he was in foster care. One of the results of the distressing first years of Robert’s life was that he was afraid of physical contact — he wouldn’t let anyone touch him. Inez told him that she loved him and tried to tell him that God loved him, but he wouldn’t believe it. "Nobody loves me," Robert insisted. As the school year approached, Robert longed for new shoes and a cool backpack — he wanted to be like other kids. But he knew this was impossible. His grandmother was very poor. Inez grieved that she couldn’t provide adequately for Robert, but then she heard through her church that Here’s Life Inner City was offering back-to-school shoes and backpacks filled with supplies — PowerPacks. She made sure she got them for Robert. When Inez handed Robert his own new backpack, he was overjoyed. Not only did it have school supplies — this backpack also contained a children’s Bible. Inez explained to Robert that God had provided these gifts, and then sat down to read to him from his new Bible. Soon Robert turned to his grandmother, tears streaming down his face. Breaking through his fear of being touched, Robert put his arms around his grandmother’s neck. "Maybe God really does love me," he said. Pray with us that God will help us provide thousands of PowerPacks for children like Robert ... and that they’ll experience His wonderful love through this outreach.
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Childhood can be hard in the inner city, but Robert seemed to have it even tougher than most. His father long gone, his mother unable to care for him, four years in foster care — and all this in the short seven years of Robert’s life.