Elizabeth’s Testimonial Video
Please enjoy and share Elizabeth’s awesome story of recovery in Christ. We’re so proud of you, Elizabeth, and thank you so much for sharing with us. We pray that your story will encourage others to seek recovery in their own lives by the power of your testimony.
Elizabeth’s Testimonial Transcripts
My name is Elizabeth, I’m from Chattanooga Tennessee, and I’m 27 years old. My life before Providence was utter destruction and chaos. I lost everything. My house, jobs, my daughter. I lost custody of my daughter due to my addiction. I was in and out of abusive relationships. I just felt completely hopeless. I felt like there was no hope left for me.
I was fully intending on living my life this way. I accepted the fact that my life would always be destruction and chaos. My family, it was almost like we weren’t a family anymore. I had burned every bridge with my family. They had no idea what to do with me. I put my mother through so much. She was so sick over it and she was scared every night that she was going to get a call that I was dead.
And they really didn’t know what person they were going to get, so they were always on edge every time I was around them. They didn’t know which Elizabeth they were going to get. So they backed off. My mom had to show me tough love and just tell me that she couldn’t be part of watching me die.
My bottom, I felt like I hit it a couple times but this last time was really it for me after I lost everything. I lost my daughter. That was the bottom and I wanted to die. I was ready to die. I fully intended on making that happen. I tried to commit suicide and I just cried out to God if there was any hope left that He would just get me out of the situation and I called my mom and she found this place.
At that point I felt like everyone would be better off without me because all I was doing was destroying myself first of all, but also my family. I never thought that addiction affected anyone but me. I thought I was only hurting myself. But I was obliterating everything in my wake, everything my path was suffering.
You know I’ve been able to mend those relationships with my family. I’m still working on it. With my mom I had to hear what I’d done to her, and what I’d done to my family. I needed to hear that in order to heal I think. Because I didn’t know what I was doing to them, I mean maybe in the back of my mind I knew but to hear it, it was hard, but it was something I needed to hear.
Providence has absolutely 100% changed my life. I feel like God used this place to change my life! The biggest thing for me is a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. I’ve never had that before. Before I came here I was hopeless and there was times when I thought there is not a God. Why we let all of this stuff happen? And then I also thought well if there is one, He won’t want anything to do with someone like me. I’ve messed up too bad. My mistakes are too bad to be forgiven. And here I’ve learned that there’s nothing too bad that He can’t forgive me for. And I learn how to forgive myself through that.
What’s made the difference for me is that it’s Christian based. I’ve been to treatment before and there was no God piece. There was a God of your own understanding, that type of thing. But you didn’t talk about God that often. Here I feel like they allow you to do that. Other places they don’t really want to hear about it, but it has made all the difference this time. I have a totally different feeling than I’ve ever had before.
Hope. Joy. Happiness.
God has truly performed a miracle on my life.
Being with women, it was less of a distraction for me. I could really focus on myself. Just to be able to share with these women, they have amazing stories. It’s awesome to have someone to relate to. And just to share their strength and hope with me it’s been huge.
My future looks bright for the first time in my entire life. I feel like I have hope for my future today. I have hope for my daughter’s future that she’s going to have the mother that she deserves. I just see good things and I know that with God, there’s nothing I can’t to, nothing I can’t accomplish. I truly believe that.
After the 90 day program I chose to stay and go to the transitional program. It’s been really awesome for me. I feel like it’s given me more time to be secure in my recovery before I go out into the world. It’s letting me baby step into it. I just felt like it was the best decision for me to stay and keep working on me, keep working on my recovery, and I think when I leave here I will be ready.
I just love everybody here. I really do. Everyone’s been so awesome. I’ve never experienced that before. Love, from people who really do care. Everyone cares here and they want you to succeed, and you become sisters with everyone here. It’s amazing because I’ve never had friends like that before. I’ve never had someone cares so much about me and my well-being. It’s an amazing feeling.
My relationship with my family has gotten so much stronger. They want me to be a part of their lives today. They are beginning to trust me today and that’s something I thought would never happen. They’re proud of me! That feels amazing to hear my family say that they’re proud of me.
I can’t tell people enough what God has done for me and what He’s doing in my life, and what I believe He will continue to do for me if I continue to seek Him and follow Him.