“God is always at work for the good of those who love him."
~ Romans 8:28
Adele underestimated the cold
tonight; the icy wind was wicking away body heat faster than her small frame
could replace it. Turning back was
always an option, but one she quickly rejected.
Three nights a week she volunteered with the homeless at
Faith House, named for the Pastor who founded the shelter. She pushed open the heavy metal door and
entered an already crowded room, hot and dank with the stench of body
odor. Adele greeted the ‘residents’ with
a warm smile before heading for the serving area.
She noticed the young woman cowering on the floor; her face
in her hands. The ragged coat she wore
was way too thin for this kind of weather.
Martha, a regular at the shelter,
was caught in the sickening carousel of social services. Mental Health wouldn’t help until she
recovered from alcoholism; but the alcoholism was inescapably tangled with her
mental illness.
“How’re you doing tonight, Martha,” Adele asked in a
pleasant voice.
“Whaat’d you caaare?” Martha answered, her tongue thickened
by an earlier binge. Her verbal abuse
was legendary. She detested herself and
anyone who showed her kindness. When Martha
was sure she was alone, she’d often cry for all the love she’d driven away.
“Always good to see you dear!“ Adele said . . . and honestly
meant it. “I’d best get busy.”
It hurt to see a mother "un-well;" to hear her
vomiting in the bathroom, to hear slurred speech and crying, to find empty
bottles. If Mom had a bad day at work, a
fight with one of her boyfriends at the time, or she was drunk, it usually
resulted in Adele getting screamed at, choked, even dragged from bed to be
beaten.
Adele was so desperate for her mother’s love that she did
everything and anything try and keep her happy and not make waves. She’d walked on eggshells until that day 7
years ago – the day she’d had enough.
Their relationship ended that day. But in her mind, Adele had lost her mother
many years before that. There’s no hope
for reconciliation – no love, no trust.
She survived – but suffers deeply.
She couldn’t save her Mom from herself. But then, maybe God helped prepare her for
His ministry here. She can show them
that He loves them, that there’s hope, that they have value and they can get
back on their feet. She prays that her
dedication to Faith House will help someone someday.
Dear
God, thank you for always being near. We
trust You to heal those struggling with addiction and pray that they will be
relieved of the pressures that cause them to self-medicate. Give us strength and patience as You begin
work in their lives. Amen
