Terry’s struggled with addiction for decades. But he got clean and has been working his recovery in recent years.
Yet life keeps showing up and Terry lost his focus. The final blow was the passing away of his mother, a wonderful woman with a deep personal faith. As her only son, he took it very hard.
In Terry’s mind, his mother’s passing allowed him to be a victim, which would then justify anything he felt like doing. He went head-first back into his addiction.
A family friend who loved Terry and his mother pulled him aside and asked Terry if he really did love his mother.
“Of course I do!” Terry retorted.
“Then why are you so intent on killing her only son?” his friend responded.
Terry had no answer and could not forget the question. Finally, he admitted it was true and he made the conscious decision that he didn’t want to be that guy anymore.
Years ago, as part of his process toward recovery, Terry had been at Helping Up Mission. So when he got serious about doing something, he decided to come back here.
Its a different campus and a different program – but some of us old guys are still around! He’s glad to be back in recovery and at Helping Up Mission. He’s also glad he’s stopped killing his mother’s only son!
One Day at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director