Ray struggled with his addiction for decades and it always bothered him to know how his lifestyle disappointed his mother. But he found himself powerless to stop. Ray arrived at Helping Up Mission like everybody else, “broke, busted and disgusted.” He sat still and reconnected to the God he had come to know as a child and it felt good knowing his mother saw him doing better.
Then he graduated from our 12-month Spiritual Recovery Program and he was so happy his mother could see the change in his life. Ray went back to college and graduated and it made him feel good to be doing the right thing and to know how much it meant to his mother. Then he graduated from college, got a good job and felt like a productive member of society again. And he knew how proud momma was. Last month Ray moved out of our graduate transition housing into his own place – a final major milestone in his life. This is the kind of man he had always wanted to become, living in recovery and walking with God in a meaningful way.
On the day Ray moved in to his own place, his mother passed away. While he was sad to lose her, he knew where she was and he did not feel despair. Ray rejoiced that his mother had lived long enough to see him join our Program, experience recovery, graduate from our Program, attend college, graduate from college, start a good job and get his own place – all before she went to her Special Place. Ray is so thankful that he made the commitments and choices that he did, when he did. Today it empowers him to do just one more day.
Sincerely
Pastor Gary Byers
Spiritual Life Director