LTTL Christmas 2021 Newsletter
Megan's Story
"A little over two years ago, I received the news that nobody ever wants to hear. A friend knocked on my door and told me that my husband, John, had passed away. It's hard to formulate words to describe what I felt in that moment, but the pain was agonizing, gut-wrenching, and excruciating. At the age of 30, I was suddenly a widow and a single mom to a house full of young children. I knew in my heart when I got the news that John lost his battle with addiction. My husband struggled with the bondage of addiction on and off throughout our entire relationship. He sought help many times and he loved Jesus Christ, but the relapses still came and they were followed by the ugly cycle of shame. The thing about addiction is, it doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care if you're a Christian. It doesn't care if you have a wife and children at home. It doesn't care if you are a son or a brother. It doesn't care if you haven't had a chance to grow old and live your life. Addiction is a product of a fallen world - and it comes to kill, steal, and destroy. We know that addiction doesn't just affect the person in bondage, it affects the whole family. It causes pain, conflict, frustration, sadness, and the feeling of being overwhelmed. But I have also learned, in my journey, that despite the pain, you can still love in a healthy way. It was not easy, but over the years I learned how to love my husband in his createdness as a child of God and not based on his performance. I learned how to create healthy boundaries and love him in his need, not necessarily his want. I learned how to love in grace and not in law. I learned how to empathize with his pain and the cycle of shame. I learned how to listen and encourage instead of being quick to condemn. Loving with agape love takes intentionality and hard work, but God can and does enable us to do it. I have found a new passion in sharing that truth by journeying with wives and the family members of those struggling with addiction. God has led me to lead a Love Them to Life group to minister to others and remind them that God can use all storms for His glory. I know he can use my testimony to help others and he can use yours too."
Ministry Updates
As many of you know, Joe has been struggling with health issues for many years and continues to decline. As a result, it was determined that it was best for him to resign from the ministry in April of 2021. We value your continued prayer for him.
The ministry of LTTL is continuing to go well. Our Monday night Zoom group provides help and hope for women who have a loved one in addiction. I am also available for individual counseling and for speaking to groups.
From April of 2020 to April of 2021, 100,306 people died from overdose. This represents and almost 30% increase in just one year. The largest increase in overdose deaths occurred due to fentanyl and its analogs. Fentanyl is not just being found in heroin anymore - drug dealers are lacing cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana with it. Alcohol deaths are also increasing. Helping families know what to do and what not do when a loved one is in addiction has never been more vital, as well as dealing with the very real emotions such as fear and worry that go along with loving someone who is destroying their lives. Our job is not to change the person in addiction - only Father can do that. But we can get well ourselves and learn not to enable destructive behavior so that they have the opportunity and motivation to get well.
Love Them To Life is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and is funded solely through donations. All donations are tax-deductible and are used for the expenses of the ministry. If Father leads you to support this ministry on a monthly basis or with a one-time gift, donations may be made in the following ways:
- by check: made out to Love Them To Life, 31A Yorktowne Pkwy, Whiting, NJ 08759.
- electronically: https://lovethemtolife.com/donate
Above all else, we are so grateful for your prayer support. We could not do this without you!