July 2024 Newsletter

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Recovering A Lost Lifestyle

Diana had been a Registered Nurse for 15 years. She was a professional with a great deal of responsibility, caring for the needs of others. She had been married for a similar length of time and is the mother of two children. Her family attended church regularly, volunteered, and were firm believers. Life was dependable.

However, Diana fatefully discovered that life is fragile, can unravel rather quickly, and cannot be taken for granted. People, relationships, employment, housing can change. Faith can be tested.

One pivotal day, Diana found her husband’s stash of drugs. He had relapsed. Then she followed his lead and used the forbidden substance as well. It began a downward spiral that destroyed everything they had known together. She became a different person. In time, she lost her identity, marriage, family, home, career, even her faith. Diana was homeless.

She said, “I had nowhere else to go, no other family or friends with the room or ability to take on another person. I had never been in a homeless shelter.” When she found out that she could actually stay during the day and until she could find permanent housing, she said, “I was relieved. I don’t know what else I would do. I have never lived on the street. It’s scary.” Her first impression of Samaritan Inn was, “I was surprised at how well everyone was getting along.” Within a couple of weeks, she got a job as a motel clerk. She is actively working on redeveloping job skills to return to the medical field, this time as a medical receptionist.

Diana said that at first, she just barely tolerated chapel at Samaritan Inn. She was not so opposed to attending. She found them educational, but questioned how God could have let all the bad things happen. It was more a matter of being confronted with blame. She said, “I was on fire for the Lord, now I’m in a state of confusion. But hope in God is returning. I’m remembering memorized Bible verses that are now coming back in mind.”