“God loves me and I am enough.”
No matter what she did, Gwen couldn’t break free from bad habits. “Alcohol had pretty much taken me to the end of the line,” she says. “No matter how hard I tried, I kept falling back into that old lifestyle of ‘I’m not good enough.’”
Gwen grew weary of sabotaging herself. She was stuck in a cycle where things would start going well… she would think it would be fine to have just one drink… and then she’d get trapped in addiction again.
She hit her rock bottom when she received a DUI. Her mom has a friend who is a judge and she gave Gwen an ultimatum: Come to the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia or go to jail for a year.
“I had never heard of the Rescue Mission, but something told me this is where I needed to go. I don’t feel like I’m forced to be here… I truly am here because I want to be.”
“Now I know I am enough and worthy of good things because I am a child of God. He loves me and is right here with me.”
At the Mission, Gwen found comfort and strength in renewed closeness with the Lord. “My relationship with Christ was nowhere near where it should have been. Now I know when I say a prayer, God listens and answers.”
The classes and counseling helped her better identify emotions and discover healthier ways to cope – instead of turning to alcohol. The structure and daily schedule gave her an opportunity to serve others and “help this place that’s helping me so much.”
Gwen graduated from the Women’s Life Recovery Program and worked as a warehouse manager in the Thrift Ministry for about 9 months before moving to a nearby city to begin a one-year Bible Study sabbatical. She loves helping others who were in similar situations and sharing her faith to encourage them in their journey.
“This place is exactly what I needed… these folks love me whether I’m having a good day or a bad day. For the first time, I’m comfortable in my own skin. I am a new person in God!”
