Blog
Light in the Darkness
By Brooklyn Learned
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 (ESV)
When Katherine* was seven years old, her father drowned on a family outing, and her mother started drinking heavily. From that point on, she felt like she and her siblings had to take care of themselves. For Katherine, it was like she lost both her parents the day her dad died, and then she lost a part of herself 20 years later when she found her mom’s body, dead from alcoholism.
Katherine recalled that she tried to revive her mom, but it was too late. Katherine confessed that she was a lot like her mom before coming to Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC).
“We were both doing the best we could with the hands we were dealt,” she said.
Before coming to OBHC, Katherine lived in darkness. She was drinking every day, and eventually the state removed her two children from her custody. She was dependent on alcohol, and every time she tried to stop, she would go through physical withdrawals. However, she knew she had to do whatever she could to get her kids back.
“I had to do whatever it takes to be the mother they deserved!”
Katherine went to treatment for alcoholism, and it was there that she heard about OBHC’s Children’s Hope program. She decided coming to OBHC would be her goal for success, because she knew that she could not return to her hometown after completing treatment. Being at Children’s Hope is helping Katherine to make the necessary changes needed to maintain long term sobriety and properly parent her children. “OBHC is a light in the darkness, and I have found full-on hope that I can show every day instead of hiding it,” she said thoughtfully.
Katherine has taken many significant steps while at OBHC that she hopes will be benefit her life forever. She has attained her driver’s license and bought a car. She is now a certified nursing assistant, working full time in a medical rehabilitation center. She is learning to trust people and to trust God. She is learning new parenting skills that are helping her become the type of the mom she desires to be. Katherine has been reunited with her 12-year-old daughter Bella* and nine-year-old son Aiden*. They now live together safely in a transitional duplex at Children’s Hope. Because of OBHC, Katherine and her children have a newfound happiness that is making such a positive difference in their lives.
Families at Children’s Hope share common goals. They want to feel safe, healthy and be encouraged to achieve success. Katherine is grateful because at OBHC, she and her children are being provided with the essentials to live a good life. “I knew in my heart and soul that me and my kids would grow and blossom at OBHC,” said Katherine cheerfully. Katherine’s children are benefiting greatly from the healthy activities and routine at OBHC. Bella and Aiden are learning the importance of being kind and giving. Katherine said it is comforting to experience that there are truly good-hearted people in this world and she and her kids get to see that every day at OBHC.
“To witness kindness from people we have never even met is amazing. Kindness is being engraved in our hearts every day and we thank you so much for that.” ~ Katherine
*Names have been changed to protect their privacy.