THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! But MERCY IS EVEN MORE REAL!

I hesitated to share this honor but also wanted to remind everyone that the struggle is real and continues for families. I have in no way arrived and also on the totem pole of people doing great things in our community, I’d probably be at the bottom.

On the very week of this honor some of the greatest pain continues in our family with situations that would be totally unbearable without the Lord. Sometimes I’m amazed at how low someone’s bottom must get. I’m equally amazed at the grace of our Lord.  Something that is on my heart is concerning yielding to the Lord. Sometimes we, as humans, hold on so tight to the very thing that is hindering the blessing of the Lord. I’ve always said that I don’t want to be clenching my hands closed, so that the Lord has to rip things from me, but I open my hands up each day and release those things to Him. I put those I love on His altar and try to release to His plan their lives. He sees so much clearer than I do. I can’t figure it out, but He already has.

So I share this as part of my journey and that you may know me better. Also, that you would know that you what do matters. You are unique and have unique offerings to give to the world. Shine on.

From the Facebook page for Volusia Recovery Alliance

October 4 at 7:15 AM · 

It's that day again where we celebrate Local Recovery Heroes, including Allies and Family Members.
We are so grateful for today's Hero and thank her for all the work she's done to help our community and so much more!
Please help us celebrate Donna!!

What is your name and how long have you been involved in the Recovery Community?

Hi, I’m Donna Collins Tinsley and I became involved with the Recovery Community on a personal note when I attended an Al-Anon meeting over eleven years ago. The only reason I went there was because, after years of watching my beautiful daughter self-destruct, I did the only thing I thought I could do; I Marchman Acted her.* To be able to visit her at treatment I had to attend Al-anon and get someone to sign a paper for each visit. After the first visit to the Gentle Journey Group, I knew I wanted to go back for “me” whether I visited her or not. “Keep coming back” and “It works if you work it,” were slogans that became part of my life.

What inspired you to become involved in the Recovery Community?

I really wanted to educate myself and become part of the solution and not part of the problem. There wasn’t as much help available back then and a lot of stigma to families and within families. I always thought, this is “Somebody’s daughter, son or family member.” What if it were yours? Wouldn’t you want someone to care about them and not look down upon them? As a mother, I also wanted to help ease the load of hurting moms and children. The pain is real but the healing can be just as real, if we embrace recovery. My daughter was 41 at the time I Marchman Acted her and although she’d been in and out of treatment a few times, she wasn’t able to stay clean. Her lifestyle had stolen the joy of life and family from her. I think by this time we were both desperate! What I didn’t know at the time was the Marchman Act spelled love to her. A conversation we’d had on the phone, beforehand, went like this,
“You need to go into a drug treatment program!”
“Mom, you could always “Marchman Act” me,” she replied.

Although I thought at her age, she should be doing it herself, I didn’t realize that she thought no one loved her enough to do it. That was not true, I was just torn between detaching and letting natural consequences come about and doing what I wanted to do, as a mom.

By the time she was served the papers, she decided she didn’t like the idea of me doing it. But I decided to follow through as in the Serenity Prayer, “Accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can.” A friend in Recovery says, “Do what you can live with.” (John H.) Some days I can live with detachment, other days not. Some days I may offer a ride, or help in some form. Other days, I may have a check in my heart about helping. She since has embraced recovery and has been working a program, and serving the Recovery Community also. We now have several family members in recovery. Yet as one child got better, another one started down the slippery slope of pain. I didn’t even see it coming as I was too focused on the addict. The struggle is real for families.

What has being involved in the Recovery Community taught you about yourself?

The Recovery Community has taught me that it’s a family disease and we ALL need help. Recovery teaches that we who are affected by addiction are also sick, and keeping secrets keeps us sicker. It has taught me that we need the help of a loving God to help restore our insane lives back to sanity. For me, Jesus and recovery groups are what gets me through the day. And the long nights.

"Addiction is an equal opportunity destroyer" was the most profound quote written by Joe Herzanek in "Why Don't They Just Quit?" If you are a parent of an addict you will relate to that quote. But Recovery also taught me that I can’t “fix” anyone but myself and to “Mind My Own Business.” That’s a hard one for me but I’m learning to make quick amends if I get off the path. I love the Al-anon slogans and certain devotionals that enhance my recovery walk. It’s taught me to have compassion and reminds me that there is HOPE!

What ways have you found to be of service in the Recovery Community?

I’m honored to be a very small part of the Recovery Community and feel that there are SO MANY other people doing so much more than I do. One of the first things I did was create a Facebook page to pray for mothers and their loved ones, called Somebody’s Mother Online Prayer Support Group. If substance use disorder in any form has hit your family you need to know that someone is holding you up in prayer. It is a closed page, so the public can’t see the prayer requests. We’ve had some victories as well as losses, but together we are strong.

I’ve attended Al-anon events and seminars and serve as secretary for my home group right now. I help as one of the administrators on the Substance Abuse Community Force and try to keep Recovery topics there online. I try to encourage people of faith to join with us on this journey. I blog to encourage people to press on. I hope one day to do more service work, but since life gets in the way of living sometimes, I’m just doing what I can. I want it to be said of me when I die, “She lived well and she loved well.” Love never fails.
Let your light shine, people! Recovery is alive and well in our area!

*THE MARCHMAN ACT: The Marchman Act is a Florida statute that is also known as the "Hal S. Marchman Alcohol and Other Drug Services Act of 1993" and simply referred by its abbreviated name "The Marchman Act". It provides a means of involuntary and voluntary assessment & stabilization and treatment of a person allegedly abusing alcohol or drugs.

#NationalRecoverymovement #VolusiaRecoveryAlliance #Volusiarecovers #Community #Recovery #RecoveryCommunityHero #FacesandVoicesofRecovery

https://thornrose7.blogspot.com/2014/02/thank-you-beth-patch-and-cbn.html