It Didn’t Start With You, but It Can End With You ~ Heather & Mary Ep. 128

God is in the business of rescuing and restoring. "Reclaimed" means to rescue from an undesirable state and restore to a previous natural state. That theme runs from Genesis to Revelation.

But God's restorative power isn't limited to individuals; it extends to families, too. Today, we invite you to join us for a deeply personal conversation between a mother and daughter. Where generational wounds and dysfunction once held them captive, they have experienced God's reclaiming power, which has led to a transformation and a closeness in their relationship that they had always dreamed of. We pray that this episode encourages you and those you love. 

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Transcript

Transcript is auto-generated

[00:00:00] Denisha: God is in the business of rescuing and restoring. The word [00:00:05] reclaimed means to rescue from an undesirable state and restore [00:00:10] to a previous natural state. We see that theme running from Genesis to [00:00:15] Revelation. But God's restorative power isn't limited to individuals. It [00:00:20] extends to families too. And today we invite you to join us for a [00:00:25]deeply personal conversation between a mother and daughter.

Where generational [00:00:30] wounds and dysfunction once held them captive. They have experienced God's [00:00:35] reclaiming power, which has led to a transformation and a closeness in the relationship [00:00:40] that they have always dreamed of We pray this episode isn't an encouragement to [00:00:45] you and those that you love Welcome to living the reclaim life [00:00:50] podcast.

I'm Denisha We're glad you're here for conversations that revive hope [00:00:55] inspire healing and encourage you to live a vibrant life with Christ So [00:01:00] grab a cup of coffee as we chat with today's guest. Welcome [00:01:05]

[00:01:07] Valerie: to living the reclaim life. This is Valerie, [00:01:10] your co host, and I'm so excited to be back with you guys and to [00:01:15] welcome our guests today.

Today, we have Heather Johnson. And she's [00:01:20] joined by her mom, Mary Burr. And I got to tell you guys that [00:01:25] wherever you are listening to this podcast, you might want to have some tissues nearby because [00:01:30] you're going to hear such a beautiful testimony of not [00:01:35]only these Individually, these women's reclaim stories, but the beautiful story [00:01:40] of reconciling and restoring their relationship and [00:01:45] how they broke.

Chains of generational dysfunction in their family. But [00:01:50] I want to first tell you a little bit about them. So Heather just [00:01:55] celebrated 16 years of marriage. She has three children, two [00:02:00] biologically, one adopted. 18, 14, and 11, [00:02:05] and she's a stay at home mom, but a homeschooling mom. And she loves to [00:02:10] volunteer on a regular basis at her local teen center and loves it.

And her [00:02:15] passions are to help young people feel seen, heard, and [00:02:20] loved. Love that. And worship and just spend time with Jesus. [00:02:25] And Mary. Her mother just moved to there in [00:02:30] Cascade, Idaho, you guys. So a little more green here in [00:02:35] Tucson and Mary just recently moved there. Goodness. Almost six months [00:02:40] ago, she is blessed with a job at a Christian camp conference center.[00:02:45]

Heather and Mary welcome to living the reclaim life. I'm so excited. [00:02:50] to have both of you on the podcast today. Thank you so much, Valerie, for having us. [00:02:55] I am so excited for this conversation. This month on the [00:03:00] podcast, we're talking about how it didn't start with you, but it can end with [00:03:05] you. And what we're referring to is generational trauma, generational dysfunction, [00:03:10] how we all have things that have been passed down in our family, [00:03:15]wounding.

And it's kind of like those heirlooms you don't want passed down, right? [00:03:20] You don't want those things passed down, but we're imperfect people and that happens, [00:03:25] but we're going to hear just such an incredible testimony from both of you of [00:03:30] how you both ended that dysfunction in your family and restored your [00:03:35] relationship.

So Mary, let's begin with you and your story. [00:03:40] What was it like for you growing up in your family? 

[00:03:43] Heather: It wasn't a horrible, [00:03:45] horrible childhood. I did have some really good memories to take from it, but I [00:03:50] remember always striving to do whatever to make my mom happy, which [00:03:55] wasn't easy, especially when she was drinking.

The alcohol was always a part of [00:04:00] my life from the time I can remember. There was always parties. We had a very large [00:04:05] family. And my mom, I remember her being angry a lot. [00:04:10] And I always felt like I was the reason for it. I remember feeling like I was [00:04:15] in competition with one of my brothers, my oldest brother, who was adopted, and [00:04:20] I started rebelling at a very young age.

And when we moved to Arizona, [00:04:25] things just escalated. You know, my mom started drinking more, and I think that was her [00:04:30] coping mechanism for being away from her family and everything that she knew in New York. [00:04:35] It just escalated, and so did my rebellion. 

[00:04:38] Valerie: Given growing [00:04:40] up like that, seeing that, witnessing that with your mom, how did that begin to affect you?[00:04:45]

[00:04:45] Heather: When my mom was drinking, she turned into another person. She just said [00:04:50] some really, really ugly things, not just to me, to my brothers as well. And [00:04:55] her alcohol consumption was a lot, so I heard these horrible things [00:05:00] about me. A lot that I was never going to amount to anything that I was always going to [00:05:05] be, you know, pretty much a loser.

And it was just so ugly, very [00:05:10] ugly. Things have really cut deep. And I think that I just let that sink [00:05:15] in. And so by the time we moved here to Arizona, I started living that life [00:05:20] from a very young age. I mean, by the time I was 11. I was smoking cigarettes, drinking [00:05:25] alcohol, and smoking weed. And then when we moved to Arizona, it just [00:05:30] got even worse.

[00:05:31] Valerie: It's interesting how you're able to recognize that it was a lie [00:05:35] that you believed. I do now. I think that's one thing when we're growing [00:05:40] up, we start to believe these things about ourselves and until we know it's a lie. [00:05:45] We live it as if it's true. And that's so true. So take us to [00:05:50] the time when now you're about to have Heather and you're [00:05:55]saying, you know, from a very young age, you started engaging in drugs and alcohol [00:06:00] and, you know, but now you find yourself pregnant, what was your life like [00:06:05] then, and what did you hope would be different and what happened as you.

found out that you are [00:06:10] now going to be a mother? Well, between the ages 

[00:06:13] Heather: of 14 and the time I had [00:06:15] Heather, I was a full blown cocaine addict. And I was [00:06:20] always trying to not only fill the gap, fill that hole with drugs, but also with [00:06:25] men. I think I was looking for the one who was going to save me and take me [00:06:30]away from all of that, you know, my knight in shining armor, so to speak.

[00:06:35] And so, when I met Heather's dad at a bar, and I think I moved [00:06:40] in with him probably a week later. A few months later, I got pregnant. I was [00:06:45] ecstatic because I felt like this was going to change everything. And I [00:06:50] fully believe that and then the day before went into labor, [00:06:55] Heather's dad decided that he was going to leave me.

And so I ended up [00:07:00] moving back in with my mom because I had nowhere else to go. And I was terrified. I [00:07:05] was terrified to leave the hospital. I had no idea. What being a mom [00:07:10] looked like, but I knew in my head that I was going to be the best mom [00:07:15] that there ever could be. I was going to be a better mom than my mom, and it was going to be [00:07:20]me and Heather all the way.

We were going to be best friends and we weren't going to need anybody [00:07:25] else. For the first couple of years, things were looking good, but [00:07:30] I quickly started pulling in me that I could never fill with men or drugs [00:07:35] just reopened and I just went right back to doing what I knew [00:07:40] how to do best, which was do drugs and just still looking [00:07:45] for that one that was going to save me.

From myself, I guess, going [00:07:50] to take me away, going to take care of me, going to take care of Heather and we were going to live [00:07:55] happily ever after. 

[00:07:56] Valerie: So Heather, what do you remember as far [00:08:00] as growing up with your mom and what life was like for you as a little [00:08:05] girl? 

[00:08:05] Mary: Yeah, so I primarily lived with my grandma, that same grandma, that drank [00:08:10] every night.

But I remember seeing my mom every weekend, which was definitely the highlight of my [00:08:15]week for most of my life. I just loved my mom. I put her on a pedestal a little bit. [00:08:20] Of course, I remember wondering why I didn't live with her. And my life with my grandma [00:08:25]was a struggle, probably more often than not. You know, granted, she did the best she could, and [00:08:30] I loved her as well.

But I think there was a lot of underlying bitterness towards both of them that I wouldn't quite [00:08:35] realize or understand until a little bit later. 

[00:08:37] Valerie: When would you say you started to [00:08:40] see kind of the effects of really this generational [00:08:45] dysfunction? When did you start to see those effects in your own life?[00:08:50]

[00:08:50] Mary: Definitely in my teen years, probably around the ages of 14 to 16, I began to [00:08:55] push back on my life situations a little bit. I was sexually active at [00:09:00] 13, gave myself away completely at 15, and began experimenting with drugs at the same time. [00:09:05] I was definitely looking for my identity in boys as well, and finding value in the attention that [00:09:10] I got from them.

Around 17 or 18, it was like something just [00:09:15] switched in my feelings and thoughts towards my mom. I was angry and hurt, and [00:09:20] the reality of her choices were suddenly really clear. And not knowing the Lord at the time, and [00:09:25] just with the upbringing I had, I just didn't know how to handle it for a long time.

[00:09:29] Valerie: Was your [00:09:30] mom in the picture? What was your relationship like at that time when you were struggling? [00:09:35] At that 

[00:09:35] Mary: time, it was more like she was a friend who I could [00:09:40] tell things like that to, but it was more, I think, in her way, in the [00:09:45] best that she could figure out, she was trying to, again, just be my friend, and [00:09:50] she didn't want to push me away.

So it wasn't that she was telling, that she was trying to help me, [00:09:55] It was more that she was just trying to let me know that she [00:10:00] relates to it almost in a good way at that 

[00:10:03] Valerie: time. Yeah, that makes [00:10:05] sense. As you started to get older, kind of head to adulthood, take us [00:10:10] on your salvation journey, really, to knowing the Lord and how your now [00:10:15] husband entered the picture.

And as you began a family, what shifted? What [00:10:20] changed for you? 

[00:10:21] Mary: Sure, so, still in my partying and, you know, [00:10:25] looking for my worth in guys, I met my husband, now husband, thankfully. I [00:10:30] knew pretty quickly that there was something different about him. I was living the party life, obviously, at that time, [00:10:35] but thankfully, so was he, because that's how I met him.

But despite that, his [00:10:40] core was Jesus. I gave my life to the Lord shortly after we started dating. And I [00:10:45] was really hungry for God. We both stopped partying every night and chose to read [00:10:50] the word instead. In 2008, we got married. In 2009, we [00:10:55] celebrated our first child. My mom and brother at the time were both a part of [00:11:00] our lives.

She seemed to be doing good for a while. She was going to school [00:11:05] and working towards getting a degree to work at a hospital and [00:11:10] was raising her son and everything seemed to be good, but it became obvious to me when she [00:11:15] started to fall back into the life of drugs. And my husband Todd and I were there to help my brother [00:11:20] Alex when she did.

[00:11:21] Valerie: So when your mom did have Alex, what was that like for you? [00:11:25] Like, just knowing how you grew up, and now she has another child. What were your [00:11:30] thoughts and feelings about that? What was your relationship with your brother [00:11:35] as he came into the world? 

[00:11:36] Mary: I had a lot of mixed emotions when Alex was born. She had my [00:11:40] brother, I even as a young adult feeling like you shouldn't feel [00:11:45] certain things like jealousy towards a life that you didn't [00:11:50] have that he might have, or getting that relationship with her that I didn't have that he [00:11:55] might get to have, but I was happy.

I mean, I love kids. I loved him. [00:12:00] I was happy overall, working through those emotions. The underlying emotion was definitely [00:12:05] joy. 

[00:12:05] Valerie: So I bring up Alex because I know now this is kind of [00:12:10] the next part of your story and even kind of the journey with your relationship [00:12:15] with your mom. So as you said, you became a believer and you and your husband, you were [00:12:20] married, you welcomed your first child, you were left kind of the old [00:12:25] Behind and you said your mom was in the picture and now this brother.

[00:12:30] So tell us a little bit now that you were a believer and beginning your [00:12:35] family kind of on a different foundation, right? A different foundation of Christ. How [00:12:40] did your journey begin of starting to really. Face maybe [00:12:45] or examine your family's past and you know now like you said having this [00:12:50] brother How did God began to help you recognize what needed to change or heal [00:12:55] the family that you grew up in?

[00:12:57] Mary: So when we first took Alex into our home We [00:13:00] really believed that my mom was going to get her life together and be able to get him [00:13:05] back But as the first year passed with little change We started to [00:13:10] have doubts, she was still really struggling, so we did end up adopting Alex. [00:13:15] We were still fully willing to give my mom permission to be a part of his life and our life [00:13:20] with our supervision and if she was in a healthy place, but she was absent from our [00:13:25] lives for many years.

And aside from hearing from her, Very [00:13:30] seldomly and randomly. I really didn't always know if she was even alive. For a while it hurt. [00:13:35] I was angry You know at times I was scared But as time went on and I [00:13:40] continued to grow in my relationship with the Lord Through my own wounds and bad choices and [00:13:45] need for healing God began to help me break the generational curses and be set free [00:13:50] And in doing so, my heart became softened for my mom and my desire to [00:13:55] pray for her became my passion.

I had so many friends and family members join [00:14:00] me in that prayer, you Valerie being one of them. So thank you. I just knew God [00:14:05] was going to bring her home to us. He spoke that to me on multiple occasions, and I just clung to that [00:14:10] promise. 

[00:14:11] Valerie: Mary, I want to bring you back into the picture. [00:14:15] I was thinking just as Heather was sharing about her journey [00:14:20] of now having a brother and how that began to impact her thoughts about [00:14:25] how she grew up.

So as she shared about adopting Alex, [00:14:30] take us back a little bit to that time and how that was for you, [00:14:35] because I know now it's a beautiful thing, but how was that for you walking through [00:14:40] that? 

[00:14:40] Heather: That was pretty much when I just dove [00:14:45] just full on into addiction. I felt like I had no reason to [00:14:50] even try anymore.

It was really hard for me because that was one of the times when my mom [00:14:55] absolutely closed the door on me. I was trying to fight from [00:15:00] the streets. I was homeless. So it's just super hard. At the same [00:15:05] time, I was so thankful because if Alex would have ended up in the system, I [00:15:10] probably wouldn't be sitting here talking to you right now.

When I had Alex, I had the [00:15:15] same thoughts of being this super mom. We were gonna be, you know, I had the same exact [00:15:20] thoughts that I had when I had Heather. 

[00:15:22] Valerie: It's really emotional and I [00:15:25] Appreciate you sharing a little bit of where you were then I think [00:15:30] of the promise of God working all things together for our [00:15:35]good Romans 828 and what you just said as hard as it was [00:15:40] having to let go of Alex at that time.[00:15:45]

But to letting him go to where now, as we will share [00:15:50] in a little bit, God has brought that full circle. So just the goodness of God [00:15:55] in that Heather, as you think about your [00:16:00]journey of both growing up, as you think about when you [00:16:05] became a mom. And then especially having a daughter of your [00:16:10] own, your second child.

Did you have any worries about what [00:16:15] might be passed down? How did you process that? And what did God do as [00:16:20] part of the healing process? And that you became a mom. 

[00:16:23] Mary: It's funny, when I got pregnant with my [00:16:25] first child, we chose not to find out what the gender was going to be, but I would [00:16:30] always tell people with 99 percent certainty that I was not having a girl [00:16:35] because I wasn't ready for a girl.

I didn't want a girl. And I was pretty sure [00:16:40] God knew that I wasn't ready for a girl either. And so, [00:16:45] even not finding out the gender, I just felt like I knew that I was having a boy. And [00:16:50] for whatever reason, whether that's really why or not, I did have a boy at first. I was [00:16:55] just well aware of my issues and insecurities as a woman during that time in my life, and I did [00:17:00] not want to ruin a daughter with them.

And on the practical side, during my first pregnancy, I read a [00:17:05] lot of Christian parenting books. I researched things and I just soaked [00:17:10] up a lot of advice from good Christian women. By the time I got pregnant with my second [00:17:15] child, I was ready for a daughter. In fact, I really, really wanted a girl. [00:17:20] As you mentioned, I had one.

And as I began raising my first two children, and [00:17:25] then later when I would adopt my third, There were definitely family patterns I [00:17:30] knew I didn't want to repeat, whether that be how much screen time I got [00:17:35] as a child versus how much I want them to have, or how little quality time I [00:17:40] received and how much I wanted them to, or how poor our family communication [00:17:45] was growing up and how much I wanted to make sure theirs was good, big or small.

[00:17:50] I always tried to be very intentional about the things I didn't want to repeat. Then later, as [00:17:55] I grew with the Lord and children continued to bring awareness to areas in me that still [00:18:00] needed healing as they are so good at doing, I became more aware of deeper prayer and [00:18:05] healing work, things that were more spiritual than practical, like breaking generational curses [00:18:10] and rebuking the enemy in certain areas of my family line.

And I think one of [00:18:15] the. Most important things that my husband and I have done for our family [00:18:20] is that we've brought our three kids into those moments with us, um, giving them the [00:18:25] space to learn about lies versus truth and [00:18:30] forgiveness and repenting and rebuking the enemy where needed. And just being open with [00:18:35] them about where our struggles were in our In our [00:18:40] childhood and how those even showed up in our family and choosing to confess and [00:18:45] repent directly to them and talk with them through that.

[00:18:48] Valerie: That's so so [00:18:50] powerful. I'm glad you shared that because that right there [00:18:55] is a step toward breaking generational cycles [00:19:00] is teaching the next generation of God's truth. [00:19:05] I think that's so so beautiful that you and your husband have been intentional about that, [00:19:10] that regardless of what you've experienced.

Being open and honest and saying, [00:19:15] Hey, we want you to be a part of participating and passing on blessing [00:19:20] and not dysfunction. So that is so, so beautiful. So Mary, [00:19:25] tell us about what led you to your redemption and to God [00:19:30] literally saving your life. 

[00:19:33] Heather: So the night before [00:19:35] I ended up in jail in 2019, April of 2019,[00:19:40] I was walking from Orange Grove and thorny Dale to the tunnel that I [00:19:45] was living in by Broadway and Campbell.

I had a suitcase that I was pulling with all my [00:19:50] belongings, and I literally wore the wheels off the suitcase. I started [00:19:55] getting super angry. I was yelling at God all the way I was praying to [00:20:00] him and yelling at him. And I literally prayed that I would [00:20:05] find a shopping cart so I could throw my suitcase in and push the rest of the way.[00:20:10]

Lo and behold, underneath a lamppost, no less, there was a shopping cart [00:20:15] just sitting there. And I was like, wow, really? [00:20:20] And so then I started praying also. It was late at night and I [00:20:25] knew that in Arizona anyway, it's a felony to have a shopping cart off [00:20:30] the premises of wherever it comes from. And so I was like, please God, [00:20:35] let me get pulled over so I can go to jail.

Cause I knew I had a felony warrant at that time [00:20:40] and couldn't happen. Police were passing by me. They wouldn't stop. And so I ended up [00:20:45] getting to my destination. Along the way, I would run into somebody who intended to [00:20:50] To cause me harm, he said something to me and I knew he was going to rob me. [00:20:55] He tried to get me to go in between some buildings with him and offered me his [00:21:00] meth pipe and I said no.

And I kept walking even faster [00:21:05] and I made it, I made it to the tunnel that I lived in. And the next morning I got up and I went [00:21:10] and I took a shower at a facility that offers showers to homeless women. And I went back [00:21:15] to the tunnel and I was just sitting there and I was just like, please, God, [00:21:20] please.

Nobody would open the doors to me anymore. I couldn't even get in a facility to [00:21:25] get help. I was trying desperately not to go to jail. And I knew that if I would get into [00:21:30] a program that that, there's a good chance that I would not go to jail. So, but I couldn't get anybody to [00:21:35]return a phone call to see me.

And so I [00:21:40] just sat there and the next thing I knew, some police officers showed up in, in the [00:21:45] tunnel where I was staying and I was just like, thank you, Jesus, [00:21:50] because I knew if not all of us, I would for sure be going to jail that day because I [00:21:55] had felony warrants. So the reality of you don't get out of jail the same day on a felony [00:22:00] warrant didn't quite set in yet.

But [00:22:05] while I was there in jail, before I went to court for my sentencing, these [00:22:10]people from a church, they came and they set up a collapsible tub [00:22:15] out in the yard of the pod that I was on. And offered [00:22:20] us all a church service and baptism if we chose to be. [00:22:25]And I was just, oh my goodness, I had already started, you know, [00:22:30] diving into any kind of anything that had to do with God that I could get my hands on while I was [00:22:35] there.

But when they said baptism and it was for everybody, I was [00:22:40] just so. So ecstatic. And I was just so [00:22:45] excited for that to happen. So I did, I got baptized in Pima County jail and it [00:22:50] was literally like veils have been lifted off of my eyes. Everything [00:22:55] changed. I mean, I felt this incredible, incredible peace [00:23:00] that I never felt before.

And that was even knowing that I still had two more [00:23:05] months to serve in jail. I was just like, you know what? Whatever. I'm good. [00:23:10] I'm good right here. It's probably for the best anyway. So that's when I got [00:23:15] baptized and just everything, my whole, I don't know, I just felt like the transformation, I could already [00:23:20] feel it starting.

So 

[00:23:21] Valerie: when you got out of jail, 

[00:23:23] Heather: then 

[00:23:23] Valerie: what? 

[00:23:24] Heather: [00:23:25] So my PO picked me up and took me to a 90 day program, and I stayed. [00:23:30] I finished it. I did well. But no, I started contacting, you know, people that [00:23:35] I associated with. I kind of felt this reservation inside [00:23:40] that I still had to find out one more time, you know. But when I finished that program, I [00:23:45] was still homeless.

And I ended up at the Gospel Rescue Mission. I left [00:23:50] there with one of my roommates, and on our way out of the door of the Gospel [00:23:55] Rescue Mission, she said, I can't wait to get out of here and have a beer. My insides cringed, and I [00:24:00] was like, okay, it's okay, it's okay, you can do this, you have a job. But the job wouldn't [00:24:05] last either, because I had some PTSD issues from another trauma.[00:24:10]

So I quit my job and it wasn't long before I found [00:24:15] myself grabbing a cigarette. And then it wasn't long before I went to her refrigerator and grabbed a [00:24:20] beer. And then I went and I found her meth pipe underneath the bathroom sink. And I just, [00:24:25] for about a week, I was just, I just, but [00:24:30] it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same anymore.

And I like to attribute [00:24:35] that to my having been baptized because I was terrified. I [00:24:40]was terrified. It didn't feel good. I just wanted to do whatever I could do to [00:24:45] stop it. And so that's when I finally fully surrendered and I went [00:24:50] to Teen Challenge. 

[00:24:52] Valerie: I appreciate Mary, your honesty [00:24:55] in this because we know the Christian life is not all roses and I [00:25:00] think as you guys will continue to share our salvation is [00:25:05]secure and we are secure in Christ.

But it just shows that God still wants [00:25:10] to break chains and that's what his grace is so [00:25:15] for. I love how you said, just realizing that it wasn't the [00:25:20] same anymore. That was the Holy Spirit convicting you. And yes, this is what I have [00:25:25] for you. I want you to be fully free. So now we're at this [00:25:30] point. I know there's more that God continued to do, but you went to team challenge.[00:25:35]

God used a year long program to really help you break free [00:25:40] from the addiction and the strongholds and the generational [00:25:45] trauma. And now the two of you are living in the same [00:25:50] city, the same state. And I guess I could boldly say, I think [00:25:55] you would agree having the relationship that you all [00:26:00] ways longed for and always dreamed of.

And so. I want [00:26:05] you both and Heather, I'll start with you. What would you say it took to [00:26:10] get to this point? 

[00:26:11] Mary: Honestly, a lot of hard work and [00:26:15] just truly knowing how loved and forgiven I was by God so that I could extend that same love and [00:26:20] forgiveness to my mom. Praying every single day for her freedom, taking any [00:26:25] negative thoughts and feelings that would come up captive and choosing to speak out my faith [00:26:30] that my mom would return to us whole and set free.

Seeking out healing through [00:26:35] deliverance ministries and learning how to pray through wounds of my own. I couldn't have gotten to this [00:26:40] place without God. We couldn't have together. 

[00:26:44] Valerie: What would you [00:26:45] say, Mary? How did it feel as you're packing up the car to move [00:26:50] and be near your daughter and grandchildren?

How did it feel to be at that [00:26:55] place? I was actually 

[00:26:56] Heather: full of peace about it. It took [00:27:00] two years after I got up until before I would [00:27:05] fully be ready to make that move. And I was full of peace about it. And it only [00:27:10] Came as a result of my fully surrendering my will and [00:27:15] just look seeking God instead of seeking the world.

So yeah, it was [00:27:20] so full of peace and I was terrified at the same time. Yeah. I mean, [00:27:25] I moved up here in December. I was terrified, but at [00:27:30] the same time, I knew that I would not fail. [00:27:35] Because God fully was in it. He was in it. So [00:27:40] I knew that I was going to be okay. 

[00:27:42] Valerie: So, so good. [00:27:45] So when I close podcasts, I always ask the [00:27:50]guests that if you could imagine a woman like yourself, [00:27:55] maybe 10 or so or more years ago, in the same place that you guys both [00:28:00] were, maybe it's in the middle of addiction or having just become a [00:28:05] Christian and still struggling with some of those old habits or just.

[00:28:10] Some of our listeners may be like, yeah, that's my story. And [00:28:15] I have no relationship with my mom. What do I do? Like, what would you say [00:28:20] to the woman sitting across from you right now? Mary, what encouragement would you give her? 

[00:28:24] Heather: [00:28:25] I would say God is the way, the truth and the law, and through him, [00:28:30] you can be set free.

Whatever bondage you find yourself in, [00:28:35] and he is the only way. He is the only way. His peace, joy, and comfort, [00:28:40] it's available to all who seek it. And he's just waiting, [00:28:45]waiting there with open arms. He won't turn you away. I always say, [00:28:50] if he did it for me after 40 years, and he will never turn anybody [00:28:55] away.

[00:28:56] Valerie: How about you, Heather? What would you say to a [00:29:00] woman sitting across from you? 

[00:29:01] Mary: If God can do it for my mom, if he can do it for me, he can [00:29:05] do it for you. He is no respecter of persons. His heart is [00:29:10] for reconciliation and healing for all. So just like my mom said, if you seek him in [00:29:15] your pain, in your deepest places of hurting and greatest need for wholeness, he'll meet you there.[00:29:20]

I also practically always recommend seeking out help from God's people, [00:29:25] whether it's a good Christian counselor or prayer through deliverance and healing ministry, both of which I [00:29:30] would have recommendations for. Just, yeah, do it. God put us here to help each 

[00:29:34] Valerie: [00:29:35] other 

[00:29:35] Mary: through hard 

[00:29:35] Valerie: stuff. So, yes. Amen. Amen. So, [00:29:40] so good.

As I am drying my tears, I told everybody have tissues [00:29:45] nearby. You both. I just thank you so much for having courage [00:29:50] and just for saying yes to sharing your story. I mean, it is, [00:29:55] for me, just so beautiful to see as we [00:30:00] Communicate to women every day that God wants to reclaim your story, but he [00:30:05] does. He wants to reclaim families and generations.

And [00:30:10] your guys story is just such a beautiful testimony to that. So [00:30:15] thank you. Thank you both once again, and thank you to our listeners for tuning [00:30:20] in to this episode of living the reclaim life. We pray, we pray that [00:30:25] you've received hope and inspiration and even courage like [00:30:30] Heather and Mary courage to pursue healing.

For yourself. So [00:30:35] you can bring healing to future generations. We'll see you same time, [00:30:40] same place in two weeks. 

[00:30:42] Denisha: Thanks for listening. I pray you [00:30:45] found hope in today's conversation and maybe even feel a little less alone in your [00:30:50] story. Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram at reclaimed [00:30:55] story.

Want to learn more about living a reclaimed life and how you can be a part of our [00:31:00] growing community of reclaimers? Check out our website at reclaimedstory. [00:31:05] com. All of those links and more will be in the show notes. And if you enjoyed this [00:31:10] inspirational podcast, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review. Not only [00:31:15] will you be the first one to know when new content comes out, but it is also a huge help [00:31:20] in helping us reach more people to live the reclaimed life.