November 2014 Newsletter

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Breaking Point

In high school and into Christina’s early adulthood, life seemed like a conflict between family and church on one side, and friends and school on the other. She was living between two incompatible cultures. Home life was good; her social sphere of influence was corrupt. Her loving, adoptive parents were powerless to convince a self-willed teenager of the danger in making the wrong choices. In the natural transition from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood, a person searches for their identity, even a social group to identify with. Sometimes its just the acceptance of a group, any group, that draws a person into a social order. Sometimes there are not a lot of choices in company. Combine that with the human traits of curiosity and rebellion, trouble happens.

Three years ago, when Christina was 22-years-old and Lucius was 3-months-old, the consequences really became evident. Child Protection Services was anonymously notified that she and her child were living in an unacceptable situation. She needed to get away from the baby’s father. The bridges to home were burnt. She had never held a job more than a couple of months. She had custody of Lucius because she had no criminal history, but unless she could support her child in a safe place, the state would take custody. Reluctantly, she and her baby went to Samaritan Inn.

Christina said, “I was at a breaking point. It was nerve-racking to come to Samaritan Inn. I felt like my world was a snow globe, everything shattered to pieces. Everyone I grew up around was in the same cycle. I had ambitions to go to school. I felt stuck. I had to hang around these guys. I heard stories about losing kids through DHS, that was my fear. It was the same old stuff, different day, no opportunities, going nowhere at all, no job, no money. Sometimes you just need a little push; Samaritan Inn was my little push. I didn’t mind the rules; curfew and devotion were just like when I was living at home. It motivated me. I liked the structure. I had Lucius to think about, mommy-mode kicked in. I needed someone to get me back on the right road.”

Christina was at a breaking point, that point of consciously choosing her lifestyle, not just following along with the crowd, her peer group. She was at a point of falling headlong into a lifestyle that she did not really want, but felt trapped in. She needed to be rescued. When she was held accountable, presented with her options, Christina stayed with the way in which she was raised. She said, “I was reminded to, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ Luke 10:27. Samaritan Inn really saved Lucius and myself. It was up to me to accept the change and God would never give me more than I could handle. I had to have faith in Him.” She has now mended broken family relationships and attends the same church with her parents.

Over two years ago, Christina moved out of Samaritan Inn, after an eight month stay. Now, she has completed her education, held a job longer than ever before and is living independently with her children.