Nancy's story is so inspiring to me because even though she's been through things that would kill most of us, she always has a smile and a kind word for everyone. Nancy chooses to see only the good in others and doesn't let her past determine who she is today. I admire her strength and courage more then I can express.
Part 2:
Bill told me how his life had changed since he found Jesus. He had accepted Him as his savior and believed with all his heart that Jesus was the reason he was no longer addicted to meth. He made a vow to try to help people know God and he would use his story to tell them. He told me he was a selfish man who had only cared about himself, how much money he could make, and when the next high would be. He said that he had a beautiful daughter and he had put drugs before her as well. He liked the challenge of selling drugs and not getting caught. He also said he did not admit to himself for a long time that he was addicted. Bill felt blessed that he had cancer because he had finally found God because of it.
And then he told me the conditions of his parole. He had two probation officers; one that he would see once a week and one that he would see once a month. He was living with his mom because he had lost everything he owned to the police as they said it was purchased with drug money. Bill had stolen things from his parents to buy drugs. He said one of his biggest regrets was that his father had died suddenly while he was in jail. Although his sister was able to bail him out and he did attend the funeral, he did not go spend time with his family afterward, because he was out looking for meth so that he could get high and take away the pain of losing his father.
He had to start completely over. He was able to get social security because he had worked for so long, but because of his criminal record the could not get Medicaid. He was able to go to the VA hospital and get treatment due to him being a veteran. He told me he was volunteering with an organization that helped people who were being released from jail get settled in their new lives and hear the word of God, but he didn’t think that was what God wanted him to really do.
This was way worse than I had expected. I had no experience with this. I wish you could have heard him speak of about the love of God and how it had changed his life though. It made you want to see and be a part of this wonderful thing he was involved in. I went home and prayed again over many nights each time receiving the same answer. "Trust Me, it will be worth it."
Our third date was at the church he had started going to. Bill fell in love with this church right away and he soon became friends with the pastor. I felt, for the first time, that this was a church I could belong to as well. Bill realized to date me meant dating my children too. I was going to school at the time and my youngest son was a teenager and, as such, would not do anything his sister told him to do. Bill asked over time, if he could take my son on guy’s nights when I was at school. My son needed this as his father was not involved in his life. What I didn’t know until much later was that Bill was also helping my son understand his father's addiction. My daughter was a little harder for him to get to know, but soon she was happy being around him too.
Bill had not told the Pastor his story about being an addict and on probation but felt like he should tell him. He was very nervous because, as you know, most people don’t believe you can change and if you are on probation for something, then they assume you are a bad person. When he came back from meeting with the Pastor, he was happy, for you see, the Pastor had been waiting for someone to be his Celebrate Recovery minster. God had told him he would bring someone to him. Bill was so happy because he would be able to share his story and lead more people to the Lord.
By this time we had fallen in love. Bill’s cancer seem to be in remission, and he was working at an animal hospital. We had told the children about his past drug use, but not the probation part because I didn’t want anyone to know. Bill had such a wonderful personality, that everyone who met him liked him. I didn’t want my family to know either, because I was so scared they would compare him to my ex-husband. We always had people visiting our church. Bill would meet them at work and tell them his story and get them to go to church with us. Bill invited my brother and sister-in-law to attend with us the night he gave his testimony before the congregation. They did not know his past, nor did I want them to. The night before he gave his testimony, we told my brother and sister-in-law, at Bill’s insistence.
Part 3 tomorrow.....
Bill told me how his life had changed since he found Jesus. He had accepted Him as his savior and believed with all his heart that Jesus was the reason he was no longer addicted to meth. He made a vow to try to help people know God and he would use his story to tell them. He told me he was a selfish man who had only cared about himself, how much money he could make, and when the next high would be. He said that he had a beautiful daughter and he had put drugs before her as well. He liked the challenge of selling drugs and not getting caught. He also said he did not admit to himself for a long time that he was addicted. Bill felt blessed that he had cancer because he had finally found God because of it.
And then he told me the conditions of his parole. He had two probation officers; one that he would see once a week and one that he would see once a month. He was living with his mom because he had lost everything he owned to the police as they said it was purchased with drug money. Bill had stolen things from his parents to buy drugs. He said one of his biggest regrets was that his father had died suddenly while he was in jail. Although his sister was able to bail him out and he did attend the funeral, he did not go spend time with his family afterward, because he was out looking for meth so that he could get high and take away the pain of losing his father.
He had to start completely over. He was able to get social security because he had worked for so long, but because of his criminal record the could not get Medicaid. He was able to go to the VA hospital and get treatment due to him being a veteran. He told me he was volunteering with an organization that helped people who were being released from jail get settled in their new lives and hear the word of God, but he didn’t think that was what God wanted him to really do.
This was way worse than I had expected. I had no experience with this. I wish you could have heard him speak of about the love of God and how it had changed his life though. It made you want to see and be a part of this wonderful thing he was involved in. I went home and prayed again over many nights each time receiving the same answer. "Trust Me, it will be worth it."
Our third date was at the church he had started going to. Bill fell in love with this church right away and he soon became friends with the pastor. I felt, for the first time, that this was a church I could belong to as well. Bill realized to date me meant dating my children too. I was going to school at the time and my youngest son was a teenager and, as such, would not do anything his sister told him to do. Bill asked over time, if he could take my son on guy’s nights when I was at school. My son needed this as his father was not involved in his life. What I didn’t know until much later was that Bill was also helping my son understand his father's addiction. My daughter was a little harder for him to get to know, but soon she was happy being around him too.
Bill had not told the Pastor his story about being an addict and on probation but felt like he should tell him. He was very nervous because, as you know, most people don’t believe you can change and if you are on probation for something, then they assume you are a bad person. When he came back from meeting with the Pastor, he was happy, for you see, the Pastor had been waiting for someone to be his Celebrate Recovery minster. God had told him he would bring someone to him. Bill was so happy because he would be able to share his story and lead more people to the Lord.
By this time we had fallen in love. Bill’s cancer seem to be in remission, and he was working at an animal hospital. We had told the children about his past drug use, but not the probation part because I didn’t want anyone to know. Bill had such a wonderful personality, that everyone who met him liked him. I didn’t want my family to know either, because I was so scared they would compare him to my ex-husband. We always had people visiting our church. Bill would meet them at work and tell them his story and get them to go to church with us. Bill invited my brother and sister-in-law to attend with us the night he gave his testimony before the congregation. They did not know his past, nor did I want them to. The night before he gave his testimony, we told my brother and sister-in-law, at Bill’s insistence.
Part 3 tomorrow.....