A Life Transformed

Dove’s Nest Shows God’s love, Provides Healing

The best gift I ever got was the gift of desperation. That gift came as the result of 27 years of drinking and drugging. During that time I was dishonest and manipulative. I stole things and I prostituted myself. I would go days at a time without eating, sleeping or bathing. At one time or another, I landed in jail, behavioral health centers and battered women’s shelters. I was unemployed and homeless. Drugs and alcohol were slowly killing me.

It was that desperation that made me realize I was spiritually, physically and financially broken and that I was finally ready for help. it was late October 2007 when I called Dove’s Nest. At that time, there was no room for me and I was placed on a waiting list, but I didn’t lose hope. Then after Thanksgiving I got the call offering me a place at Dove’s Nest. I was blown away when they told me that I would receive food, shelter, medical care and treatment for my addiction. I knew that this was the place I would finally get the help that I needed.

I brought a lot of baggage, in the form of shame and distrust, with me to Dove’s Nest. Over the next 120 days, I learned so much about the disease of addiction. The Lord Heal My Hurts course changed my life. In it I learned that God truly loved me and I slowly let go of my fears and resentments resulting from childhood sexual abuse. In my co-dependency classes I learned how to set healthy boundaries for myself and my life. During my Week of Silence, I grew spiritually and finally came to realize the power of drugs and alcohol had over my life. It was during this part of my stay that I fully understood that I had to submit to God’s will, not my own.

I take one day at a time now. I know that I am always one drink away from drunk and one hit away from high, so I work hard at my sobriety because I never want to go back to the way life was. But today I celebrate three years of sobriety. I have my own apartment and a full-time job. And service work has become a big part of my life now, because I want to help others just like I was helped.