home. She was not sure if God heard her give thanks, but she wanted to have faith. By this time, Michelle was down to 85 pounds, and her health was failing. In addition to her addiction, she had developed asthma and COPD, and had “no idea … how close to death (she) was getting,” she says. There were days when she contemplated suicide, but her mother stayed by her side in the tent with her. She prayed for Michelle to return home safely every day. Michelle’s addiction soon landed her in Maryhaven for rehab. She was near the end of her rope she was admitted to The Ohio State University Hospital, where she was diagnosed with AIDS. She would spend much of her time going back and forth between Maryhaven and the hospital to treat her drug addiction and AIDS. She recalls feeling like a zombie during group meetings, wondering if she had lost her spirituality. On two occasions, she went to stay at her brother’s house with her mother. She thought family would be good for her after what she had been through, but being out of the hospital and the program was just as hard as the stay at Maryhaven, she says, due to the uncertainty and lack of medication. The family visit lasted only one week. This led Michelle and her mother to a motel, paying by the week. While there, she recalled the feelings she got from the Christian groups that helped her when she lived on the streets. She soon connected with a new friend, Gail, who started taking Michelle to church with her on Sunday. This is when her life began to turn around. She has now been drug-free for seven years, and will mark four years without cigarettes in October. Michelle is excited to explain how the Lord restored her life, and how her church, Faith Life, gave her a place that felt like home. The small groups that met to talk about the Bible shared stories with her and brought her close enough to God to become baptized. Her favorite book of the Nible is the book of Isaiah. As she continued to grow in the church, living with her mother and son, her daughter followed in her footsteps to become a member of the church, get clean and get baptized. Remembering how people from the church prayed for her and her family, Michelle has invited women from the homeless shelter, as well as a coworker to attend her church. She says her story and her love for others will bring them “to the live by the way of the Lord.” Her favorite Bible verse to share with others is John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can go to the father except through me.” More recently, Michelle has survived bouts with depression, COVID-19 and double pneumonia, the latter landing her in the hospital for a week. In addition, recent doctor visits have confirmed that her AIDS is down to an undetectable level. She does her best to try to stay on track, seeing doctors regularly, owning her own car and working parttime. She may “forget from time to time that God is good,” she says, but she wants other women to know that she has been able to overcome many obstacles in life, and so can they. Julie Burke Julie is a single mother who takes pride in her work ethic. Assistant teacher at Columbus Urban League, EnVision Proven Success board member secretary, writer, and marketing assistant. 38 | ENVISION PROVEN SUCCESS MAGAZINE
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