When we here at HMA came across this situation, this is what we found. A mother that was a drug addict, a mental basket case and a habitual liar. She had sold almost everything they had to supply her drug habit. The father figure was in jail and was also a drug user. He had lost his job, was losing his house and admittedly wanted to lose his mate. The children had been scattered to all different relatives, trying to keep them out of the problems in the home. Matt was very young and was already seeing doctors for all kinds of issues that were being looked into. Issues that had been pursued were mental problems, physical abuse and so on. None of which were ever proven to the best of my knowledge.
Matt wasn't allowed to come home for quite a long time. Months for sure, perhaps a couple of years. The state had gotten involved with mom and dad and things weren't going well. Probations were handed out, couseling was ordered, perscriptions were written etc, etc. All of this for children and adult alike.
My wife and children and I took this case personal. We fell in love with these people and couldn't stop trying to help them. Many others got involved. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Finally the father figure broke. He was a hard man; a proud man. He came up tough but moral. He knew better than to be where he was in life. He prayed in jail and when he got out he went straight to church. He worked hard to try to clean his life back up. No, he wasn't perfect then and he still isn't now...but he's better.
Mom became closer to us all than any of them. She worked with us, came over to the house, had lots of medical problems that she needed us to get involved in and was desperate to see her children that she wasn't allowed to have. She would come to HMA and do drugs right before or sometimes, I believe, even right during service. Finally, she prayed, and oh what a difference it made. Even after getting delivered she was still quite a case to handle but we had gotten a foot hold and we weren't backing down.
Evenually mom and dad got married, got a new house after losing the other one, got a different car after selling the old one for drugs, dad got his old job back and the children have been able to re-enter the home. Again, I am not painting a picture of rainbows and unicorns here. It has been very hard and it is not over yet, but...
Fast forward to today. Today I saw Matt and his mom at the shoe store. Matt was getting a new pair of tennis shoes for school. Mom told me how dad still has his same old job and works hard everyday. The same job that he lost over his addictions years ago. Mom just got a new job today. Something that she could have never held down before. Matt was being very polite and smiling and showing off his new shoes. Nothing like the troubled little child that he was when I met him. Going to doctors for counselling and being put on all kinds of meds for depression, hyperactivity and anger. Today Matt is just your average third grader.
Matt doesn't have to go through life all jacked up on every single drug that they can prescribe, he doesn't have to wonder where his mom is. Mom doesn't have to have no contact with her children and sit in a dark room all day waiting to die or trying to think up a new scam or lie to get another hit of meth. Dad doesn't have to be single or shacked up or worse yet locked up. He doesn't have to eat whatever they are serving in county jail and he doesn't have to be the disgraced of a great family. No, he is a hard working family man.
To the best of my understanding and memory, mom and dad have been off of drugs, out of jail and away from that lifestyle for about four years now. Glory to God!
This all happened because you and I are doing our jobs. We are in our places at the center of God's will. HMA is working. I could tell you of many many more.
These are some of the things that I was thinking when Matt climbed up into his mom's car, waved at me and said, "I'll see you Sunday Brother Todd!" See you Sunday Matt.
your humble servant,
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