Ben is a brand new member of our 12-month residential Spiritual Recovery Program. In his early thirties, he’s been here clean from all drugs and alcohol for two weeks.
As usual, once a guy quits self-medicating, some real health issues become apparent – even painful. So we sent Ben to one of our healthcare provider partners to get a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Other addicts and guys from the street were also there in the waiting room and one of them offered Ben 2 pills of dope for his watch! When he was telling the story in class, Ben didn’t say how much he actually considered the deal – but, if he did, he turned it down!
He saw the doctor and returned to Helping Up Mission. Ben said in class it felt so good to have the power to say not. He was on top of the world – without taking those pills!
Ben can’t remember being totally clean of drugs and alcohol for two straight weeks at any time over the past 15 years. And now, despite those medical problems he has neglected over those past 15 years, it feels liberating!
A big couple of weeks for Ben, and he managed to do it…
…One Day at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director