Every Monday my team and I partner with a Christian support group for anyone in the community, but mainly for anyone that is in rehab for drug or alcohol abuse or who knows a loved one that is addicted. Support group looks like sharing encouragement or your hearts story, praying for each other, and sometimes it looks like door to door evangelism. Little kids come, fathers & mothers come, single parents come, sons & daughters come, boyfriends come, girlfriends come, believers & unbelievers come, suspended teenagers sent from the school to improve their behavior come, and world racers(us) come. The door is open!
It was started by my host Anthea. She has such a passion for reaching out to the families in the community who are desperate for new hope.
Sara*, a woman of faith consistently comes to support group as a mother to support her addicted son. Testimony after testimony I’ve heard how mother’s initiate a breakthrough in their child’s addiction so it’s important as a body of Christ to lift them up, to help them restore what the addiction destroyed.
Now Sara’s story is bringing hope to all. She’s very shy, but last week she testifies to finding her voice. She has walked in shame for over 36 years from a rape that made her feel alone, broken, and ashamed. She grew up without a father so she carried weight of fatherlessness. She took on the responsibility of work, taking care of her home, and her family at a young age. This took priority over her education so she had to drop out of school. The result, she never learned how to read or write. She’s 48 years old now, but hope found her and she is speaking about it.
What was a mess in Sara’s life is now a message to her son who is an addict. She has a voice, she has hope to share with him, and she has been liberated from the bondage of shame. It’s so beautiful!
Best part is, Sara is receiving school now for 50R ($3) so she can be educated. I am thankful for her boldness. She hid for so long, and now to finally pour her heart to be fully used, heard, and known has touched my heart in so many ways.
Sara’s story will continue to touch lives and bring hope to many situations. Though our past may sometimes be utterly difficult and painful, we must not look back at it as darkness, but run into His goodness and saving light.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness?and streams in the wasteland.” -Isaiah 43:18-19
This is just one story of the many. To get involved, will you continue to pray for healing in Sara’s* life and for release from the bondage of addiction over her son and for the other families in the community who need hope? And while we intercede in prayer for this community together, I’ll admit it’s hard not to be burdened for them, but I came across this song in church and Ive kept it close. He is good!
Love,
Britt
