Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

“Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!” This was Ronda’s response as a group gathered around the stoop of her apartment to explore this passage from Genesis 12. Ronda’s poignant exclamation in response to Abram’s call was meaningful because she had been invited see herself in the biblical narrative. In the midst of difficult circumstances exacerbated by her environment, she had been praying and hoping for a way out of a neighborhood that adversely affected her struggle to remain sober. So, how did God connect our congregation with this amazing woman—and, more importantly, how did He spark authentic worship in the middle of the night on an alley littered with broken bottles and cigarette butts?

Our church—Radial Church, a Brethren Church plant in Canton, Ohio—consists of a network of missional communities that gather each week to worship and serve together. One of these missional communities is a “mobile church” that gathers one evening every week and rides through the city on bicycles—with the purpose of planting more churches through prayer and service. It was on a ride on a humid July evening that we first met Ronda. As we rode past an apartment with a group of people gathered outside, we greeted them and simply asked if we could pray for anyone or be a blessing in some way. Ronda stood up and asked for us to pray for her.

We later learned that Ronda’s husband had an extra-marital affair. Sadly, when their marriage dissolved, Ronda was left with little resources to recover from the devastating blow. She turned to alcohol to cope with the pain of the betrayal she endured which gradually grew to be a dependency for her. To make matters worse, she had little to no support from friends and family to navigate this tragedy in her life. Isolated from the community, stripped of her dignity and humiliated, she was forced to seek residence on a meager income. In Canton, viable options of decent places to live are few and far between, and Ronda found herself in a neighborhood known as the “Newton Zone”—an area known for its rampant drug use, gang violence, and prostitution. As we prayed, tears began to pour from Ronda’s eyes as she sobbed begging Jesus to take her addiction away and to give her a new life. We asked Ronda what she felt were the needed steps towards recovery. “I need to get out of this demon’s den!” she emphatically replied. She later explained that she had a grown daughter that lived in Memphis with three young children. Her daughter who was successful, active in her church, and living in a great community in Memphis had repeatedly offered an invitation for Ronda to live with them—yet, Ronda could never take it upon herself to ask her daughter to pay her way there.

Several weeks passed when Jim, one of the leaders of the bicycle ministry asked, “What if we could find a way to get you there?” Ronda was bewildered and skeptical of Jim’s offer. One week later, we returned to probe once more. “Ronda,” Jim began “if you are serious about this, we can secure you an Amtrak ticket to Memphis. We will find a way to get you a ticket and will drive you to the station ourselves.” Ronda began to cry. “Really? I am serious. I want to God to rescue me from this so that I can give hope to other women!” she said. Another week or so passed and we arrived at her apartment with the good news that we received an anonymous donation to secure a train ticket to Memphis for her. With groups of neighbors, bicyclists, and random people passing by on the street we sat circled as we read the aforementioned passage of Genesis 12. “Ronda,” I said, “this passage is for you! When you hear ‘Abram,’ I want you to imagine the Lord saying ‘Ronda.’ Picture Him saying to you; ‘Ronda, leave Canton for a new land in Memphis. I’m going to bless you so that you are a blessing to others!’” We re-read the passage and Ronda erupted in praise as her arms rocketed into the air with her fists clenched in victory—“Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!”

The next Tuesday following the conclusion of our bicycle gathering, Jim and I picked Ronda up from her apartment at midnight. She gleefully carried her bags and danced her way into Jim’s van. Knowing that being connected to a community of faith would be crucial for Ronda’s recovery, we connected her to a pastor that I know in Memphis who could meet with her and also point her towards recovery services. What is truly remarkable is that this pastor began an almost identical bicycle ministry that rides out feeding the homeless from their bikes and praying with those they meet on their rides. At 1:34 am, I watched Ronda dance in praise one more time as the horn of the approaching train heralded her new beginning into the brisk autumn night. We exchanged hugs and some tears as Ronda laughed and danced her way onto the train following the Spirit in faith for the new land He was leading her to. Even as I type this, I am left astounded by the goodness of God as He continually invites us all into new lands and new beginnings.



For some of us, the journey is on the rails, and others it requires some pedaling—yet, it is always worth embarking on!