When I became a teenager I started relying on men for validation. I was in one toxic relationship after another. When I was 16 I fell in love with a guy who was mentally and verbally abusive. I started frequenting parties, drinking and eventually smoking pot. I quickly became known as a party girl. At one of those parties I was introduced to OxyContin. I remember the overwhelming feeling that everything was going to be okay. I started experimenting with other drugs, and eventually lost my best friend to an overdose. Nobody wakes up one day and says, "I want to throw my life away and become a drug addict". It happens slowly over time. I compromised little pieces of myself until I didn't recognize the person I'd become. I was so consumed by darkness. At my lowest point I was homeless and living in a car with no rear window in the middle of December. I was nine weeks pregnant. I was freezing. I hadn't eaten in days. I was absolutely hopeless. Then God opened a door for me! I was admitted to a hospital for pregnant women suffering from withdrawal. In my hopelessness and desperation I began to pray. My shame consumed me. What had I done to my unborn child? How could anyone forgive me? I became overwhelmed with the desire to know Jesus. It was not a coincidence that I was given an opportunity at Christ Kitchen. They have given me value, self-worth, confidence and a support system. Today, I am a devoted Christian, a mother, a friend, an employee, a sister, and a loving daughter. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13
