Staff Spotlight .... featuring RONDA DAUGHERTY
A
graduate of the youth program 21 years ago, Ronda moved to
It is an honor for me when I get to share my
testimony with others. My prayer is that my words bring comfort and
encouragement to someone else who may be dealing with some of the same things
that I was and know that there is hope in the Lord .
He has provided a place like the Home of Grace for hurting people who have not
known any other way to deal with their pain other than looking to drugs and/or
alcohol. No one really chooses to be an addict or an alcoholic. You convince
yourself you can handle it or you do it out of frustration not knowing what else to do. But you don't sit and/think of yourself as becoming
addicted to anything. The next thing you know you are just there. At the age of twenty-five, I knew I was an addict, but at that time in my
life, had I died as a result of my addiction it would have been an answer to my prayers. God had another plan. I found out I was pregnant. All of a
sudden I had to think of what I was doing in a new light. During my pregnancy I had to come to terms with my addiction. I also was faced
with the reality that I could not stop on my own. God knew what I needed. Being
a mother made me look at everything differently. I have told my daughter many
times that God knew by giving me her he was saving my life. In January 1987, I
came to the Home of Grace because of a drug and alcohol addiction. I had lost
everything I had. My family loved me, but I had destroyed any trust that was
once there. My four-month old daughter was placed in the Baptist Children's
Home, and because of the trust I developed with the family, I was able to focus
on my recovery. At the Home of Grace I found understanding about my addiction
and my problems. My father had been an alcoholic and the memories of when we
were with him were sad for me. I lost my mother at age nineteen, and she was a
wonderful mother. The memories of her are of a lady who loved and put her
children first. I admired her and did not want my daughter to grow up with an
addict for a mother. But God is a God of second chances. My daughter and I are
very close. My heart's desire was to be faithful to God
and to be a good mother to her. With God's help and completing the program at
the Home I have been able to raise my child and watch her
become a young Godly lady. God has also restored my relationship with my
family. There was a time 1 was uncomfortable being with my family, but now I'm
thankful for them and our closeness. I now have twenty one years sobriety and I
have worked in different ministries, two of them being girls' homes. My heart
has always been with the Home of Grace because of what I found there: healing
for a broken heart and wounded spirit, and to know I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me. The unconditional love of Christ that is shown at
the Home of Grace has changed many lives. I'm thankful that mine is one of
them.
