Teara’s Success Story

For most of my life, I knew how to “look” successful, but it was always a façade.

I could get a job quickly, learn fast, and move up the ranks. Employers saw someone ambitious and capable. Friends saw someone confident and independent. From the outside, it looked like I had everything under control.

But beneath the surface, I was fighting a battle with alcohol addiction that had been growing for years. As a young woman, I didn’t realize that drinking would eventually become the way I coped with life. Alcohol helped me avoid painful emotions, run from difficult situations, and silence things I didn’t want to deal with.

I grew up in a North Carolina church, so I always knew who God was. The problem was that I spent most of my life trying to do things my own way, running from God.

As I got older, I became good at putting on a mask.

I could walk into a new job and excel. I often advanced quickly and earned more responsibility. For a while, people saw someone who was successful, driven, and capable. But eventually alcohol would catch up with me.

I would stop showing up and walk away from opportunities. Other times my drinking would affect my judgment and lead to consequences. I knew my drinking problem was causing me to lose job after job but instead of facing the problem, I kept running.

I left my home state of North Carolina and made my way west. I couch surfed, slept in my car, stayed in short-term rentals, and drifted from place to place. I convinced myself that if I could just find a fresh start somewhere else, things would get better.

But no matter where I went, I took my addiction with me. About three years ago, I moved to Utah hoping for another new beginning. Instead, my drinking became worse than ever.

I was drinking all day, every day. Weeks turned into months. I was so drunk that I didn’t even realize how drunk I was anymore. Alcohol wasn’t just part of my life. It had become my entire life.

Deep down, I knew I was dying.

I remember crying out to God and saying, “You have to do it. You have to make me stop because I can’t do it myself.”

God answered that prayer. At the time, I was living with roommates who had watched my addiction spiral out of control. They finally sat me down and told me that I couldn’t stay there anymore. As hard as that conversation was, I actually felt relief. They weren’t giving up on me. Instead, they started looking for help.

My roommates researched programs and found the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake Center for Women.  Looking back, I know God put those roommates in my life as an answer to my prayer.

When I arrived at the Mission, I had been drinking continuously for months, and I could not imagine facing life without alcohol. The staff quickly realized I was in trouble and sent me to the hospital. I spent four days in the hospital dealing with severe alcohol withdrawal.

For the first time in a very long time, I couldn’t run. I couldn’t drink. I couldn’t distract myself. All I could do was talk to God. I spent hours praying, asking for forgiveness, and asking Him to turn my life around. That was the moment when I started to realize this wasn’t just about getting sober. It was about surrendering my life to Jesus.

When I was released from the hospital and returned to the Mission, things began to change.

The staff held me accountable and encouraged me. The other program women around me held me accountable. For the first time, I had people who loved me enough to tell me the truth. Eventually I had to face something I had avoided for years: I was the problem.

As I worked through the New Life Program, God began revealing the deeper issues that had fueled my drinking. I started processing old wounds, unhealthy beliefs, and years of pretending to be someone I wasn’t.

I realized I had spent most of my life wearing masks. I didn’t even know who I was anymore. Little by little, God began stripping those masks away.

Now, I have real relationships with the other women at the Mission. I genuinely care about them, and they care about me. I love hearing about their day and supporting them however I can. God has used the friendship and accountability here to change my life.

Today I work for private transportation company as a motor coach driver. I transport professional sports teams, including NBA, NHL, and Major League Soccer teams that come through Utah. I also drive groups to places like Lagoon, the Clark Planetarium, and other destinations around the state.

It is a job I truly enjoy, and I see it as a blessing directly from God. I have also found a church family at Capital Church in Salt Lake City.

I still remember my first experiences there. During the first service I attended, the tears started flowing. God was breaking down walls that I had spent years building. Since then, I have formed meaningful friendships and found people who encourage me in my walk with Christ.

I feel a peace and happiness that I cannot fully explain. I understand that I don’t have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. God is in control, and I can trust Him.

As I prepare to graduate from the New Life Program, I am prayerfully considering my next steps. I have been saving money and believe God may be leading me to Hope House, the Mission’s transitional housing program for women, but I am learning not to rush ahead of God’s timing.

When I look back at where I was a year ago, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I am no longer slowly destroying myself. I am sober, have meaningful employment, and peace. Most importantly, I have a relationship with Jesus that is stronger than it has ever been.

I am incredibly thankful for the Rescue Mission, the staff, the case managers, the women in the program, and every donor who supports this ministry. The Rescue Mission gave me a place to find help when I couldn’t help myself.

God answered my prayer through this place, and because of that, my life has been completely changed.