02/14/2024
"The act of obtaining usable substances from unusable sources." This definition of recovery that I recently saw really hit differently. For some reason, the image I immediately pictured was of someone walking through their recently burned down house hoping to find their family photos untouched. The term recovery could used for obtaining data on a computer or SD card that was thought to have been destroyed. It's used when someone returns to a normal or healthy condition after taking a turn for the worse. But when I thought about "the act of obtaining usable substances from unusable sources" in regards to being in recovery from substances, alcohol, abuse, trauma, etc., I saw a single Mom trying to get back on her feet with a neon sign blinking "unusable source" over her head. And I thought about the person who wouldn't even bother going back in to the house for their pictures because it would be too hard, and the likelihood of finding "usable substances" would be too low to warrant the trip and the mess.
And that makes me think of Jesus.
You know who is an "unusable source?" Me. And you. And we are constantly burning down this good thing that God has given us and yet He comes back time and time again, traipsing through the charred, melted halls of our hearts to restore us back to Him.
This ministry is designed to help guide those who feel unredeemable to walk into the light, love, freedom, grace and mercy of Jesus. We feel called to bring life skills and healing to those who have been cast aside by society and remind them that it isn't too late, that they haven't been forgotten.
We're under no illusion that any of this will happen over night, although admittedly, sometimes it's hard to be patient. God has given our founder Liz such a clear vision of what this ministry could do over the next 5-10 years, and all we can do is take each next step in obedience, sit back, and watch God work. If you want to partner with us in these crucial building years, find out how at https://www.loveremained.org/partner - we'd love to have you on our team!
Psalm 73:25 - My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.