“I GAVE ALL MY WORRIES TO GOD.”

“When I Came to RSGM, All the Weight of the World Was Lifted Off of Me.”

From a young age Vickie struggled with depression, and didn’t know how to cope.  “My parents were recovering addicts, and there was a lot of drinking all the time,” she says.

So as a teenager, whenever she felt sad or  experienced a difficult situation, Vickie turned to substances as she’d watched her parents do- to numb her emotional pain.

“Addiction really ruined my life,” Vickie says. “I didn’t care about myself at all.”

When her struggles led to time in jail, Vickie hit rock bottom… and found God. “I just remember asking God, ‘If you are there, can you please help me?’ I was tired of hating my life.”

Vickie started praying and reading the Bible… and she stayed sober for almost 2 years after her release. Sadly, the pressures of life outside a jail cell – like caring for a sick parent, maintaining a job and providing for her children – became too much to bear and she relapsed. “I lost sight of God… and I wasn’t putting Him first.”

Thankfully, Vickie was offered the opportunity to come to the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission, where her life began to change.

Vickie joined our Christian recovery program, where she found a safe place to begin processing her emotions and the triggers of her addiction. “All of those things I struggled to deal with were brought to the light, and I learned to talk about them in a comforting way,” she says.

Through Bible study and the support of our staff, Vickie has also discovered her self-worth. “I’m learning I’m loved regardless of what I’ve done… that God’s love is unconditional. He’s redeemed me.”

Vickie’s heart is overflowing with gratitude this Thanksgiving because YOUR loving support gave her the confidence and encouragement to rebuild her life. “I’m so thankful for how RSGM has helped me put God first… This program has changed  my life.”

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