By: Alexis Franzi
It is a blessing and a privilege to share with you today. What does it mean to be healed? I have yet to have someone tell me their life goal is to be an addict. The disease of addiction is “conning, baffling and powerful’ and a few of the lies it tells are that you can never get out of the cycle of addiction. That you will always be broken and there is no way for you to be healed. One of the most important things about seeking treatment is it provides a safe place for healing.
Jeremiah 30: (NLT) 17 I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord. “For you are called an outcast— ‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.’”
No matter the circumstance or reason. God always provides an avenue for healing. It is up to us to make the first Step, to seek the help God freely provides. One day while serving with a prison ministry team, I had an opportunity to receive a powerful message from an inmate. They shared how prison was like GOD’s safety deposit box. They stated that we are all precious gems and some of us go out in the world and get dirty and dinged up. We get caught up in the fast life of drugs and toxic relationships and our actions leads us to rehabs and jails and while in rehab/jail we are given the opportunity to either stay dirty (broken) or allow God to clean us up (heal), get our life together and go out to shine brightly in the world as we were made to shine. This struck me as so powerful. In the rooms of AA/NA they share that addiction will lead you to jail, institutes, or death. Going to treatment could be just a place to go, get sober and return to the same lifestyle or it could be a place to go and heal. As a child of God we all make mistakes and fall short of His Glory but the best part about being Gods Child is the always provides a place to become whole.
Psalm 51: 16-19 (NLT) 7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
The Miracle will happen. Sometimes we just need to place ourselves in the proper surrounding to receive our healing.
About Alexis
Alexis Thomas, M.S., LMHC, CTRS Alexis Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in recreation from Georgia Southern College and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Troy University. Alexis is a certified therapeutic recreation specialist. Prior to her work at Lakeview, she worked for the Methodist Home for Children. Alexis applies spiritual principles in her clinical practice.
