Five months ago Craig, 38, was struggling with his addiction. He had loving parents who cared about him…but this Craig wasn’t the same guy they knew and raised.
Just before arriving at Helping Up Mission for our 12-month residential Spiritual Recovery Program, Craig spent a day with his parents and things went pretty well — so he suggested he might go home with them and stay a few days.
“Absolutely not,” was his father’s quick reply!
It devastated Craig…he felt rejected and unloved. Then — to make matters worse — his parents offered to bring him to HUM!
While Craig knew mom and dad were hurting, he was in so much self-inflicted pain, he couldn’t really consider their feelings. And upon arrival here, Craig felt absolutely hopeless.
He spent a lot of time with me — telling me about his pain.
But…day by day, Craig also began sharing insights he was getting about himself and his situation. After two weeks he didn’t even need to talk with me anymore!
Craig availed himself of almost everything we offer at HUM. If we were doing it here, he at least tried it!
When Craig completed the initial 45-day phase of our Program — also ending his blackout period — his parents came to celebrate with him…and even brought him home for an overnight visit.
Yesterday Craig told me he spent Christmas at home with mom and dad. They told him — if he needed a place to live as he was preparing to move on with his life after graduation from HUM — that he was welcome to live back home.
Since his name’s not on a lease anywhere, I suppose Craig is technically still homeless…but, in his heart, he feels homeless no more!
One Family at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director