How a Christian shelter that provides addiction recovery for women is changing lives in Chicago.

Alice’s life was tumbling out of control. Her heroin use had been a regular part of her life for well over 20 years.

“Believe me, I tried everything, but nothing could drown out this feeling that I wasn’t loveable. The mess my life had become only seemed to confirm it.”

Alice was born to poor German parents, placed for adoption and, soon after, adopted by American parents. But it wasn’t a happy childhood.

Not by a long shot.

Unfortunately, her new mother and father were both alcoholics, and her mother was physically and mentally abusive. Eventually, it became more than any young girl could handle.

Alice ran away from home at age 15 and never returned.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven ~ Matt 5:6

For years, she searched for something to fill the emptiness in her life. She tried to find it in relationships with men she thought loved her, but only found deceit.  

By the late 70s, Alice began experimenting with drugs, and for a while, it seemed to become that fix she needed to fill this void in life.

Her habit became so significant she began stealing just to support it. In spite of her many trips to prison, Alice continued to return to the lifestyle she had already become so familiar with.

Finally, that life caught up with her.

One day while staring into a cold steel mirror that hung on the wall of her prison cell, she looked deep into her now worn, lifeless eyes and realized she couldn’t outrun her past. She had no future. No plan. And her parole was coming up fast.

That’s when Alice heard about our Lifespring Ministry at Wayside Cross and decided to give it a try. She first entered Wayside Cross on parole but left after only a month and quickly found herself back to what she knew best, getting high.

Her struggles continued to last for about two years and once again the law caught up with her. After eight months in jail, she entered a 90-day, intense treatment program. Only this time, when it was all over, she knew she wasn’t ready to be on her own.

Alice just couldn’t get Lifespring out of her mind.

The light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness has not overcome it. Proverbs 3:34

Eventually, through the grace of God, Alice finally returned to Lifespring.  This time, she was ready!  She is the first to tell you, God led her here, and she hasn’t looked back.  

Still, Alice knew she had many demons to overcome; fear, physical and mental abuse, false love, and heroin.  But Jesus said,

I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ~ Luke 10:19

Since then, God has done many miracles in her life, but the one that stands out the most to her is that she is still alive.

Sober for over two years now, Alice credits her transformation to the relationship she found with Jesus Christ, thanks to the Christ-centered, Bible-based teaching Lifespring offers, a wonderful mentor, the staff and many volunteers who taught her boundaries and how to live a life free of the chains that previously held her captive.

But above all, she gives thanks to the redeeming power of Jesus Christ.

Today, one thing Alice holds most dear in her heart is the one thing her father wanted most for her . . . to be a good Christian.

Her only desire now is to give back, particularly to those who are lost like she was, especially young girls and to share the most precious thing she finally found, the love of Christ.

“No, I didn’t have a happy childhood.  I didn’t know real love. But, I finally let go of the abuse. I learned to forgive and I owe it all to Lifespring because they took another chance on me.”

Since graduating from our program, Alice has begun slowly rebuilding a relationship with her son. She has since found full-time work as well.

These days her life has finally come together, but she still manages to find time to serve here at Lifespring, every Saturday, as a resident assistant.  You could say she finally found the peace she was always looking for.

A slight laugh lingers in her voice as she reflects over the dramatic changes in her life:

“I’m happy.  For the first time in my life, I’m really happy. It took many years to discover I am still a child of God, and today, that’s enough for me.” 

Help one more women off the street like Alice.

If you know someone in need of a safe place to recover and rebuild their lives call Wayside Cross Ministries’ Lifespring Center for Women or Master’s Touch for Men at (630) 892-4239.