the bridge

You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help.      Job 11: 16-19

I went down a very long, dark road and the saddest thing is, the ones I love most had to go with me. They too paid the price, not by choice but because they love me. When I was consumed by anger (believe me, the devil was hard at work!) I used alcohol to make me numb and make me forget for a little while. Guess what? It didn’t work!! The only things I forgot were the really stupid, hateful, hurtful things I said and did. I do remember a t-shirt I saw at a bar that said, ” For those who drink to forget, please pay in advance.” Sounds funny but it really isn’t. The cost will always follow and for me, it was almost death.

At that point, I was scheduled to go to some place in Greensboro, NC. I don’t remember (don’t care to remember) the name because they basically turned me away. I was on the phone with them, trying to work out what day I would be there (best for me and my family,) and they basically said I wasn’t ready and didn’t really want to come. Not good! I really did want to go somewhere for help so I started searching. That’s how I found Transformations Treatment Center in FL. I was with my daughter, Talia when I called and talked with Kyle. He was truly a Godsend. He coordinated everything to get me there and Talia helped me prepare for the trip physically and emotionally.

At Transformations, you could choose a traditional or Christian approach. I chose the Christian way and was assigned a counselor named Earl. In the beginning, I just thought I had become an alcoholic and needed to understand how not to drink. Well, I was wrong. It took a caring professional like Earl to help me learn the real problem. When I told him what was eating me alive, he said you’re not an alcoholic – anger and resentment is your problem. Obviously, I knew I was angry and there were a couple of things I’d never let go of but, I didn’t know how to handle either one. I had lost my faith. It doesn’t get worse than that!

Through counseling, assignments, classes, church, fellowship and prayer, my faith was restored. I felt like my old, better and happier self again! I had met some of the best people over the course of that month and if it weren’t for the ones I love most at home, I would not have wanted to leave. A great thing about Transformations is that even after you’re gone, they still care and keep in touch. Over the past 5 years, Troy has done that for me and I don’t mean just in times of trouble. I spoke with him just last week and was so excited to tell him about the good things happening and for what I will always be grateful!

This is only part of what I will share about my life but it’s definitely a pivotal part. My mission is to glorify God, support those who stand up for Him and help others come to know Him.