When authorities found Mackenzie’s* roommate in possession of illegal items in their home, she wound up behind bars, too. But the experience turned out to be a catalyst for making important changes to break the shackles of addiction because that’s where she first learned about Nashville Rescue Mission and our Life Recovery Program.
“I only saw two ways out if I kept going the way I was going, and it was either prison or death,” Mackenzie says of the addiction that gripped her for 13 years. “I knew that it was going to take me hitting rock bottom and probably going to jail,” she shares.
“That’s where I came across the Women’s Life Recovery Program. I heard really good things, and they have a lot of resources, therapists, and people for you to talk to, so you get the help you need,” she says.
“Everybody was very welcoming at the Mission,” she recalls, thinking back to her first days here. “And I like that it is faith-based because I was angry at God for a long time. They’ve helped me reconnect and build a relationship with Him.”
Thankfully, “Nashville Rescue Mission showed me there is a life on the other side and how to live again. The staff were really supportive,” Mackenzie says. “It’s easy to isolate when you feel like nobody cares, but there are people there who care.”
The future is bright for Mackenzie. She is newly engaged, has the possibility of a job waiting for her, and is overjoyed at the thought of being reunited with her children.
“I’ve always said, ‘Life fails to be perfect, but it doesn’t fail to be beautiful, always,’” she says with a smile. “I am thankful for the Life Recovery Program because if it wasn’t for this Program, I might cease to exist.”
This Thanksgiving, Mackenzie is thankful for the lifesaving, life-changing help she received at Nashville Rescue Mission. Her life has been transformed by God, and today, she is getting the chance to be the mother, daughter, and sister she longs to be!
Your prayers and partnership make it possible for Nashville Rescue Mission to help save and change lives like Mackenzie’s. Thank you for your support!
*Name changed for privacy
