GREENSBORO, N.C. — Pastor Patricia Robinson is running her hand across the cream walls of an inconspicuous building off Highway 62. Her eyes are watering, but she collects herself enough to let out a long sigh.
"I've put everything into this ministry," she said, "and it was hard. But I never lost faith once."
Patricia is referring to the countless hours she's spent by herself, working through building inspections, preaching on Sundays and serving her community in Greensboro, North Carolina the last 15 months. God, she says, called her to ministry, far from her home in Florida, after a decade working in transportation. When she moved, she had little reason to believe she would be successful, and no one to help her, aside from her sons, who live in the area.
"But God has provided every step of the way. Even from my lowest moments to now." Robinson said.
That low moment came years ago when her former husband, quite literally, stabbed her in the back.
"When I wasn't looking, with a knife." she said.
Her dedication to Jesus, she says, gave her enough strength to move past the incident.
Today, Robinson runs Greater Love Ministries. Two months ago opened up a day care on the side of her building. From the outside, It looks like a tan office complex. Inside, the space it lacks is "filled by the Holy Spirit." The main worship room can fit, at capacity, around 35 people.
"It doesn't matter how many show up," Robinson says, "what matters is that people come in contact with God. It's not about me."
Pastor Robinson's ministry had begun to hit her stride, but her daycare faced a another hurdle. The building's fire safety inspection failed, requiring major major upgrades. The city required her to immediately install water sprinklers, pull levers and safety alarms.
Robinson quickly contacted Blackstone Fire Safety, a company local to Greensboro. She ordered a quote expecting tough news. A typical installment would cost thousands of dollars, a sum Robinson could not afford.
"I didn't know what to do, so I prayed," Robinson said, "I got an answer sooner than I thought possible."
Blackstone came back with a unique proposal. The company had decided to design, layout and install the fire safety system, fulfilling the entirety of Pastor Robinson's needs, for the whopping price of one dollar.
"I cried! I whooped! I hollered! I probably broke down in tongues! I wanted to cook them food!" Robinson said, "It meant everything to me."
Blackstone Fire Safety initially declined a formal interview, but Vice President David Yates was willing to talk about Patricia.
"I'm not sure what it was," he said, "but something really struck the guys when they met [Patricia]. They wanted to do this for her. We've been blessed enough to be in a position to do this for her, so we were happy to help."
Robinson says the act defies common logic.
"When I saw those men, I saw the face of angels. Who else could this have been than the Holy Spirit?" she said, "Businesses don't do this anymore. But I believe my God is still in the miracle business, and once again, He has provided."
The full installation process will take about a month. From there, she says she knows what's next.
"I'm going to keep praying, and I'm going to keep asking, 'Where do you want to take me Holy Spirit?' He hasn't led me astray yet."