A Renewed Life

“I realized I had a spiritual sickness.”

Thank you for helping Terrence overcome addiction and find hope!

When Terrence finally realized how he had wasted so many years and opportunities, he wept bitter tears of sorrow.

For many years, he seemed to have his life together with everything going his way. Although his father died when he was very young, Terrence was raised in a loving, Christian home by his mother and grandparents.

“My grandparents have been the rock in my life,” he says. “They showed me so much love.”

In high school, Terrence was an honor roll student and captain of the basketball team. His ability in cross country and track earned him a full scholarship to Troy University.

Living a Double Life

At college, his string of successes continued. He joined a fraternity, was voted Homecoming King, and became only the second African American to be named Mr. Troy.

But amidst all the honors and success, Terrence began to go down a path of partying and drinking that would eventually lead him to a crisis. Looking back, he says he now sees that he had a spiritual void.

“I was trying to fill it with being Mr. Popular and with different accomplishments and human praise and awards,” he says.

After graduating from college, his drinking continued to escalate, and when his grandfather died, Terrence starting using cocaine. As his life spiraled downwards, he wrecked his car multiple times and was charged with drunk driving.

He had been hired to coach cross country at a college while he pursued his master’s degree. But when his drug use was discovered, he was fired.

“I was just emotionally and spiritually dead,” Terrence says. “I didn’t know where to go. I was crying myself to sleep every night.”

“I had a spiritual sickness…”

He wound up living with his grandmother and was still using drugs. Only after she gave him an ultimatum did Terrence start on a path of recovery that led him to The Potter’s House at Atlanta Mission.

“When I got here,” he says, “we started to work these steps and I got to the root issue of my addiction. I learned here that the drugs were just a symptom of the true problem. I realized that I had a spiritual sickness and that only Jesus could fill that void.

“And so, when I was able to talk about all the things that I had done, the things that I had done in secret, and things that I wasn’t so proud of and to be able to be honest with myself finally, I realized, Lord I need you. If I don’t have a relationship with you, Lord, I am bankrupt. I’m seriously dead.

“And through the steps and through the Holy Spirit pouring into me, the Lord was able to empower me to change my life.”

Today, Terrence is serving in a leadership position at The Potter’s House and using his gifts to help other men struggling with addiction.

He deeply appreciates the addiction recovery program there.

“I love that word, ‘potter,’ because a potter shapes things,” says Terrence. “And I’ve certainly been shaped here and so I would definitely recommend The Potter’s House for a person who’s struggling.”

Thank you for helping making stories like Terrence’s possible! Because of you, men, women, and children are finding hope!

Mentors at The Potter’s House

One of the people who has come alongside Terrence at The Potter’s House is John Lewis, a former drug dealer who became a pastor and now works with men in the addiction recovery program.

When John met Terrence for the first time at The Potter’s House, Terrence was weeping for all of his years wasted due to his addictions.

“So I texted him the next morning telling him to read Hebrews 5,” says John. “It says with strong tears and crying, he cried out to the one who could save him from death.”

“Terrence texts me every morning now. He’s got my number, he’ll send me a verse, I’ll share something back.”

John pushes men like Terrence to step out of their comfort zone and encourages them to share their stories to help others.

“I asked him, hey, are you leading tonight and if not, who is? Because they know, I’m not going to come out there and preach a message, right. They are. I’m trying to make disciples.”

Addiction has exploded during the COVID pandemic:

• 50%

  Increase in drug overdose deaths last year

• 75,000

  Projected additional deaths from overdose, alcohol abuse, and suicide

• Only 10%

  Receive comprehensive addiction treatment of all those with substance disorders

The Potter’s House offers several recovery services for men dealing with chemical addiction, such as one-on-one counseling and clinic groups.

Your gift today will help free those stuck in addiction!

At Atlanta Mission, we help people struggling with addiction get to the root causes and make lasting change in their lives. Our addiction recovery services for men and for women are making a vital difference!

Will you join us?

Your support provides essential services and care to the men and women working to overcome addiction. Please stand with those who come to our doors in search of hope and freedom.

Thank you!

Tears flow freely, but joy will come!

In the story above, Terrence was a young man so trapped in the bondage of his addiction that it cost him the future he had planned for himself. He wept bitter tears of sorrow when he realized how he had wasted so many years and opportunities.

That is not a rare occurrence at Atlanta Mission. Time after time, I have witnessed men and women cry tears of repentance. When God gets hold of a person’s heart, tears will often flow freely.

The truth is, if you spend much time with me at Atlanta Mission, you’ll see my own tears flowing as I witness the impact of Jesus on those we serve.

Thankfully, the tears were not the end of Terrence’s story. At The Potter’s House, he got to the root causes of his addiction, and has found his new identity in Christ.

I am filled with joy at how God has transformed Terrence and is building him into a leader to help other men.

Thank you for making stories like this possible through your prayers and financial support.


Blessings,

Jim Reese
President & CEO