Extreme Makeover
“She’ll never change.” “It’s been too long.” If you’d met Venus two years ago, you might have jumped to that conclusion. She appeared spent and emaciated after years of addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine. But God had a different plan. Through the influence of her daughter and the caring people at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina, Venus entered a Christian rehab program. This life-changing program helped her to establish a relationship with God, to face her past, and to make changes in her life to stay clean and sober. It was the beginning of an amazing transformation. When Venus returned to Greenville, she enrolled in Bethel’s Overcomers Program, which uses Here’s Life’s Holistic Hardware life-skills curriculum. It’s been nine years since Here’s Life developed this resource as a video tool, and it’s been wonderful to see its impact around the country. Venus reports, “Holistic Hardware has really helped me in my everyday living...to take responsibility for my life...to get closer to God...to start doing things I should. It has helped me deal with the negative view I had of myself, that I was worthless and that no one loved me. Now I know there is someone who loves me, and that is God.” Remarkable results are flowing out of that love. “My relationships are different now,” she reports. “Before, my children were ashamed of me and the life I was living. Now, my children are proud of me, and I can hear it in their voices.” ;“Another change that’s taking place after so many years of being on drugs and alcohol is getting to know myself — the real me. Living in a sober state of mind, I’m learning new things about myself every day. I think positively instead of negatively about myself, and I rely on God’s strength to carry me through.” Venus is studying for her GED and has a job with a cleaning business. She’s growing in her faith, and she loves being a healthy part of her grandchildren’s lives. She concludes, “Every day I thank God for His deliverance!” |
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“It’s hopeless.”