Defer your taxes, not your hope

by Jamie Warner

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

April at Mighty Oaks Foundation ushered in two Legacy Programs for men: one at Blaylock Ranch, Texas, for first responders, and one at SkyRose Ranch, California, for veterans. A total of 35 Warriors arrived seeking to align their lives with the life they were created to live.

April is also the time for Spring and the time Americans look forward to about as much as we look forward to a root canal: tax season. But for many of us, we were given an automatic extension to our filing deadline due to multiple nationwide disasters. This delay of reconciling our taxes with Uncle Sam, for some, is a welcomed relief. But when it comes to reconciling our past hurts and traumas, extending the process can add to the pain and discomfort.

CJ Woodruff, one of the Warriors from the SkyRose session shared how delaying getting help affected him.

“About 2 ½ years ago, my life really just hit a crossroads. I essentially, in a lot of ways, was dealing with a lot of demons, a lot of baggage, a lot of life-built-up things including service that just wasn’t dealt with. And the reality of it was, is whenever you don’t deal with things, as I would find out the hard way, it turns into a nuclear explosion. This led into fighting with my spouse, led into custody battles with my kids, eventually a divorce. And I just had to look myself in the mirror, and I didn’t like what I saw. I really became something that I never could have imagined I would have been, and I didn’t like it.”

And James Crawford, another Warriors from this month, shared what his life was like prior to Legacy Program.

“I was very nervous about coming here. I’m actually nervous talking to you right now, but you’ve got to listen though because if this could reach someone that’s going through the same thing that I was going through prior to me coming here, you know, being nervous, being flustered, being frustrated, being extremely angry and just feeling wrong and feeling like there’s no way out, feeling like you don’t even have a wall behind you. You know, you feel like there’s nothing, to where you have to fight in a three-sixty direction all around the board.”

All of your support pays off. The word about Mighty Oaks and our effectiveness is getting out. In fact, CJ shared this about his journey,

“I tried several different veterans’ retreats and things like that. And the reality is even though they were good, and I don’t want to take away from that, I just… I still needed something more. Something was missing. And every retreat I went to, somebody would mention Mighty Oaks. ‘Check out Mighty Oaks.’ ‘You’ve got to check it out.’ I finally was able to fully surrender and give my live to Christ. The irony is, I’ve been in my own way for a long time and really, it’s this simple: surrender myself to God. Surrender myself to Christ.”

But facing the hurt and trauma in order to find healing is not always easy to do, but it is always worth it, as James attests to.

“When I came here, you know, it was a little rough, but I got warmed up very quick and very soon. All the staff here are great. They’re genuine. They’re respectful. They’re pure. And they taught me how to find God. They taught me how to walk with Jesus. Make sure, you know, you run with Jesus. You understand? You walk with Jesus, you run with Jesus. You don’t let anyone else deter you from your path. All right? It’s going to be frustrating. It’s going to be scary. It’s going to be hard as heck, but you’re harder! And understand that and never quit, never give up! I hope this really reaches you. You don’t have to hurt yourself or harm anyone else. You stay focused on God.”

If you need help, or know someone who does, don’t put it off any longer. Just take the step forward.

God is doing great things through Mighty Oaks Foundation, and it is due in no small part to you, our supporters. Your prayers are vital, and your donations make an eternal impact. Thank you for partnering with us!