Judy came through Judeo-Christian Outreach Center’s (JCOC) office door bringing gifts a few months ago. No, it wasn’t Christmas in July, but we gladly accepted the large tub full of housewares her eldest daughter Christie had asked Judy to drop off. Christie had collected the items for Welcome Home Baskets. Each of our housing clients receive these startup supplies when moving out of homelessness into permanent housing.
While talking with Judy, we began to understand the significance of these gifts.
Judy’s Bible
“Pray for Christie” is written beside Lamentations 2:19 in her Bible. Judy had put it there in 2014 while trusting God to take care of her then 35-year-old daughter who was experiencing homelessness.
It reads, “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.”
Christie had grown up in a Christian home, and graduated with honors from a Christian high school. She married, and had a beautiful baby boy. Financially, they did extremely well with a large house and boat to prove it, but they were falling apart.
Unbeknown to Christie’s parents, she began drinking alcohol in high school. Later, she drank with her husband sometimes to the point of her blacking out. When their son was 11-years-old, the mentally abusive marriage ended. Leaving everything, mother and son moved in with her parents. Christie sadly lost custody, and her ex-husband moved out of state with their son. She nor her family has seen him since then.
All Christie’s hope was lost. Heavy drug use and a physically abusive relationship followed. After repeatedly choosing a destructive path, Christie’s parents asked her to leave. They had to look out for her teenaged sister, and stop enabling her.
It didn’t take long for Christie and boyfriend to lose their apartment. They spent the next few miserable months crashing with friends and sleeping in random places near Virginia Beach’s oceanfront. Both were in and out of jail for beating each other. Multiple overdoes.
In the midst of this darkness, a praying mother slept soundly because she believed the Lord was keeping Christie safe. Reassurance came when Christie called at least every few weeks.
Judy remembers going to pick her up during one of the times the boyfriend was in jail. While Christie was there sitting in a corner drinking a 6-pack of beer, “Christie screamed at me, ‘Why can’t you stop loving me? I don’t want you to love me. I don’t deserve to be loved.’
“I told her that God loves you more than I do, and I don’t even know if that’s possible.”
The boyfriend got out of jail. She went back to him. Thankfully, they quickly found out about JCOC’s Community Dinner and additional resources through friends experiencing homelessness. They ate in JCOC’s dining hall most every day. Remembering how rough she looked, Christie commented, “These groups aren’t judging you, and are there to make you feel like a human being.”
Judy commented, “If hadn’t been for everyone down there in Virginia Beach helping her – I’m talking Oxford House, P.I.N. Ministry, and JCOC – all of you working together, …it can get people out of their [homelessness].”
Nick & Christie
During the journey, Christie met her now husband Nick. He lived similar experiences separately. Christie reflected, “I went from mentally abusive to physically abusive relationships to his [Nick’s] whole goal in life is for me to be happy.”
Now 45-years-old, 10 years have passed since Christie experienced homelessness. Recovery didn’t happen overnight. She’s been drug free for nine years, and sober for three. Christie exclaimed, “I don’t drink because I don’t like being homeless!”
A couple of years ago, Nick took a job transfer moving them to rural Virginia. They needed a fresh start! Both volunteer regularly at the local food bank, thrift store and clinic. For her birthday present, Christie has asked her mom over the last couple of years to make winter bags or bagged lunches for JCOC’s clients. The family’s active text string keeps them close across the miles.
Christie reflected, “People need to be treated like human beings. There but for the grace of God that could be you. Instead of judging them, be grateful it’s not you. See what you can do to help them.”
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