April 2015 Newsletter

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Let Go Of The Past

To those of us who are outside of the drug culture, it is a mystery as to why anyone would put a foreign, harmful substance into their bodies. What catalyst could incite someone to start such a self-destructive behavior? Pride. When the focus of a person’s life is on themselves, then they encounter stressful troubles and those conditions meet with the opportunity for relief, consequences are not a part of the irrational decision. No one else matters, nothing else matters, only satisfaction matters. It is simply a part of our human condition. We have freewill and the knowledge of good and evil. The drug culture is firmly in place, and it causes homelessness.

ReAnna had a perfect storm of events, that she had no foundation to withstand. Trouble started in a bad relationship. When he found out that she was pregnant, he got mad, denied that it was his or even true. He became verbally and physically abusive. At the same time, a close aunt was dying of a disease, she lost her housing, her boyfriend was cheating and he would harass her at work and school. ReAnna said, “There was so much stress, depression, jealously, anxiety. I started failing as a mom. I was just letting abuse happen to me and my kids. But I kept fighting for him to come back; I thought I really loved him. I just hoped for the best and that he could change. I watched my mom go through the same things with me. I didn’t want to put my kids through it.” In that vacuum, the boyfriend introduced a new, common seduction, illegal prescription pain pills. It was the supposed solution to relieve the stress and save the relationship. In a short while, she said, “I got sick from the pills: diarrhea, vomiting, hot flashes, anger. Someone said (a street drug) would fix the problem, but coming down was way worse. Then, I didn’t want to get out of bed, tried to commit suicide, had no self-worth. I just left, felt scared, someone wanted to hurt me. I didn’t go home and I lost my kids.”

Samaritan Inn was there to pick up the pieces. ReAnna needed to learn to live without dependency on drugs, bad relationships or even herself. She needed time to make that transition. She said, “I was used to being wild. Now, I like the structure and rules. It keeps me safe and out of trouble. It makes me the person I want to be, not who I was. Chapel volunteers prayed over me to let go of the past. I don’t remember the message that night, but I asked them to pray for me. I asked Jesus to come into my heart and forgive me for my sins. Jesus is my Savior.”

ReAnna has been working a full-time job outside of Samaritan Inn for several months. She is paying child support and having visitations with her children. She is paying off her court fines and taking responsibility. She is still fragile and quite aware to not launch too soon. She still needs time for mending and growing stronger. She is looking forward to moving into the new Samaritan Inn, a place less crowded and that will allow longer stays for a more complete recovery. ReAnna has a new life.