“I walked through the doors of prison with a smile on my face because this was a chance to love other women and spread the love of Jesus in a place that needed him most. My six months in prison went by fast.

After I was released, my daughter took me in. I have eight felonies and was turned down for every job. The grocery store across the street wouldn’t hire me – I wasn’t good enough to shelve peas and carrots.  I sank into depression and asked God why he brought me this far, then left me. I loved working at the Waterfront Rescue Mission Thrift Store in Pensacola, but I couldn’t leave Alabama. Then came the next miracle:  Waterfront Rescue Mission opened a thrift store in Mobile. I started working there in 2017 when it was nothing but a concrete floor, and I have been there ever since.  I went from stocking shelves to team leader and key carrier. I cried when they told me that being a key carrier meant going to the bank and handling money. Nobody has put that kind of faith in me; that’s when I knew that I had arrived. Now I am the assistant manager and will work at this store until I drop.

I love our shoppers and never know when I will cross paths with someone who needs a kind word or prayer. Often someone they love is in addiction, and we pray about it. People want someone to listen and make time for them. You don’t have to build a big church or be a community leader to make a difference. I work at a thrift store and have the chance to touch lives every day. That’s all God asks of us.

I will turn 68 on Saturday, August 19th. During my shift at the Waterfront Rescue Mission Thrift Store in Mobile, I will attach $68 to my shirt and announce over the intercom that I have $68 to give away. There is a catch: whatever someone donates to the Waterfront Rescue Mission right then, I will match up to $68. I do this every birthday as a gift to myself. This program has given so much to me, that I have to give back. 

My life is a story of struggles, hope, and redemption. God brings forgiveness and restoration, even in the hard places. After everything that I went through, I finally love myself. I have found my heart.”

Cindy, Part Two

Here is the link to Part One: https://oursouthernsouls.com/i-lost-my-family-and-my-life-i-was-48-year-old-addicted-and-homeless/