Wheeler Mission's Blog

Changing your life can be tough. That’s what one of the young men graduating from our addiction recovery program said to me about a year ago. He was beginning to realize just how hard it was going to be to stay clean and sober.

He had a great upbringing: loving parents, good neighborhood, college degree from a prestigious school, and more than sufficient talent to land a job and climb a ladder to “success.” He simply was not the type of person most people envision of when you think of a rescue mission client. But a client he was, and he told me exactly how that came to be.

He said you must pay attention to what is happening in your daily life. Watch the little things. Those little habits that soon take over your life. His “habit” began with what he would describe as “recreational drug use.” He didn’t consider it drug abuse, after all, it was just a little thing. But after awhile, his drug use controlled everything about his day. He began that downward spiral so often associated with drug addiction. He lost his job, his wife divorced him, and his family said he couldn’t live with them if he continued to use drugs. It began to be apparent to him that he was an addict and that there needed to be a change in his life.

He came to Wheeler about 3 years ago and he began “a program of change” by entering Wheeler’s addiction recovery program. Now he says, everything looks new to him. Everything feels new, tastes new, and has new meaning. He has taken a step at a time and change has come. For the last several months, he has served as an intern at a church and continues to be discipled by the pastor. He has also applied for graduate school and in his words, “is seeking to build God’s kingdom, and not his own.”

Indeed, change has been tough, but change has come.

Rick

Labels: testimony

You may be familiar with the old saying “never bring up politics or religion.” I have one more topic that is often added to that list: drug abuse.

Are you concerned that someone you love, someone you work with, or someone in your neighborhood, is abusing drugs or alcohol? How do you begin a conversation with them?

At times, a person abusing drugs is aware they have a “problem,” but many times, they simply are unaware that their alcohol use has turned into a dependence or addiction. It may be glaringly obvious to you that there has been a personality or behavioral change, but the abuser will often deny there is an issue.

Here are a few suggestions from The Partnership for a Drug-Free America to get your conversation started:

• Don't bring up the subject when the person is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. When people are high, they are less able to understand logic and are more likely to be impatient, dismissive, angry, and blaming. Some people have poor impulse control and may act irrationally or violently.
• Don't be under the influence of substances yourself.
• Establish a time to talk when the two of you can have more than a few minutes alone. Your goal is to have a dialogue — a two-way conversation in which you can state your concerns and understand the person's perception of the situation. Ask if you can set a time to speak in the next few days to discuss something on your mind. If the person responds by saying, "Now is fine," tell them you'd prefer to set time aside and not be interrupted.
• When you meet, tell your family member that you care and it's this concern that led you to have this conversation.
• List the behaviors you've observed. State that you are worried about the effect drinking or drug use is having. Express concern about continued use.
• Create a two-way dialogue so the person doesn't feel lectured or badgered.
• If the person states that there is definitely no problem, ask to talk again at some point in the future. Your goal is not to convince the person that there is a problem, but to let them know that you believe there is one and that your belief is based on observable behaviors.
• Don't try to speculate or explore motives. It can sidetrack you from the main point.
• Don't expect a dramatic shift in thinking or behavior right away; this conversation may be the first time the person has thought about this problem.

Wheeler Mission Ministries offers long-term residential programs for addicted men and women. If you would like more information about these Christ-centered programs, call Charles Dillard regarding programs for men at 317-636-2720. For information on addiction programs for women, contact Lisa Hoffman at 317-687-3630.

I encourage you to intervene in someone’s life if you think they are addicted. There is hope and there is help for them.
Rick

In 1982, a new word entered Webster’s Dictionary. The word is “foodie” or “foody” - “a person having an enthusiastic interest in preparation and consumption of good food.”

My wife is a “foodie.” She has an expansive cookbook and recipe collection. A few years ago, I custom built an in-the-wall 4-drawer cabinet so she could organize her hundreds (probably thousands) of recipes that she has lovingly written out on 4 by 6 index cards. I would describe her as more than the definition would allow as “enthusiastic.”

But I benefit from her love of cooking as well. Last weekend, we had 30 people at our home for a reception. Our kitchen table brimmed with food and we enjoyed great fellowship with several of our friends. On days like that, I am thankful for her “foodie” bent. I felt the evening served as a great encouragement as we confirmed our love for one another.

What do you love to do? Do you have a talent or gift that you can share with others? The Scriptures talk about hospitality in Romans 12:13, I Timothy 3:2 and 5:10, Titus 1:8, 1 Peter 4:9, and 3 John 8. I encourage you to read these passages, then open your home to others and be a part of a ministry of encouragement.

And if you need a recipe, call my wife.

Rick

Labels: hospitality

“He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and receives favor from the Lord” says the Proverbs. I was contemplating this piece of wisdom recently after attending the wedding of a Wheeler staff member. This young man had prepared himself through the years in every way possible for marriage – spiritually, emotionally, and financially. After what seemed like an eternity (to him!) God blessed him with a lovely Christian woman to share his life and ministry. He knows he has found “a good thing.”
God’s favor rests on us in ways we don’t often recognize. Unlike this young groom, we go through life not acknowledging the great blessings bestowed on us from our Heavenly Father. I have to ask myself, am I more like the nine men who were healed of leprosy and just went on their way – or am I the one who returned to give thanks? You can read the story in Luke 17.
What can you thank the Lord for today? How has He granted you favor? I encourage you to think about it and thank Him for His blessings.

Rick