We have been meeting with a client on a weekly basis for the last four months who has been rebuilding his life as he recovers from alcoholism and comes to terms with the physical after-effects of having a stroke. His addiction to alcohol caused him to steal (theft conviction) and damaged his relationships with his family before he finally ended up at a rehab center after totaling his car in a single vehicle accident due to being intoxicated. His sister-in-law connected him to The Well after he was released from rehab.
We have walked with him as he has gotten two part-time jobs, found an apartment, started on Medicaid, started professional counseling, and began repairing the relationships with his wife and children. Although the Well has connected him with numerous resources as he has worked through the items, the impact of The Well’s focus on relationship building has been evident as our Care Coordinators have supported him as he has wrestled with anger at God, anger at people, feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and negative thinking. He is a self-professed loner who has had a difficult time connecting with people, but he enjoys coming to The Well each week to have people to talk to where there is absolutely no judgement or shame. He has commented at visits that he lived one way for 35 years and is now relearning how to live differently over these past four months.
We know that relearning how to live takes time and can sometimes be extremely frustrating, and he is learning that as well. However, we will continue to let the Spirit speak life to him through us and will continue be a place where the struggle to move forward never overshadows the progress that has been made.