George
“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE STRAIGHT YOUR PATHS.” PROVERBS 3:5-6
My name is George Spencer, and I am in the fourth step of the life recovery program at the Downtown Rescue Mission. I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, with my mom, dad, and six siblings. My mom and dad worked hard and long hours as business owners, and they provided wonderfully for my five other siblings and me, leaving me a lot of freedom. In high school, I started quickly making friends with the wrong crowd. I idolized gangster movies, violent music, drug dealers with lots of money, and obscene rap music. I started drinking alcohol and hung around people that were doing in selling drugs. In my 20s, I lost two sisters and my dad within six years. And they sent me into a downward spiral of anger and hard drugs. I started to care less and less about my own life while at the same time helping all of the wrong people out who didn’t have my best interest in mind.
When I was approximately 25 years old, I married my high school sweetheart in 2003 and had a daughter. I started trying to do better in my own strength, but I kept failing. I continue to do drugs, sell drugs, and run with the wrong crowd. I lost my family and best friends, and my wife filed for divorce in 2007. I was never home and constantly searching for something to make me feel better. I fell into a deep depression, and my anger was out of control. I was lonely, had no friends, and didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. I was in complete and utter darkness. One day I was speaking to my big brothers and sister. I explained how I felt, and they told me about the LIFE recovery program in Huntsville, Alabama, at the Downtown Rescue Mission. I believed in Jesus, but I never had a healthy relationship with Him. After wrestling with what to do for six months, I finally gave in and decided to try it. When I first arrived here, I felt fast relief. I felt that there was finally hope and I felt loved! I learned to rest in the Lord and not take matters into my own hands. In Matthew 16:25, Jesus says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus is the way to everlasting life. He is the life!
I have learned to love people and be open about my struggles in my time here. It has been a long road, and I fail constantly, but now I have learned how to fail well, put my trust in the Lord and rest in Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 The Lord blessed me with the opportunity to be on staff as security here. I get the chance to encourage people I get to deal with daily who are facing their battles. This program has brought me into a relationship with Christ, which has saved my life. As the future comes, God calls me to stay on security here at the Downtown Rescue Mission, to continue encouraging and ministering to the men. I often deal with people having the worst day of their life, and I can relate to that. I want to go to school for biblical counseling in the future to be better equipped to handle crises and circumstances as they come through the doors. One thing that I have learned while being here is we are broken people who help broken people. God will make a miracle out of your biggest mess. I am grateful for all the Lord has done in my life, and I look forward to serving Him for the rest of mine.
George
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