A Life Re-Written
For every single one of our Diamonds, there is a ‘Before Destiny’ chapter of their life, and an ‘After Destiny’ chapter. For Tiffany, the ‘Before Destiny’ chapter consisted mostly of cyclical addictive behaviours, domestic violence and unhealthy romantic relationships, risk-taking behaviour and a myriad of half-hearted attempts to abstain from illicit substances that were ruling her every waking moment.
“I barely held down a job,” Tiffany shares. “I lived in government supported housing. Spent most days off the planet or in withdrawal which involved paranoid hallucinations and psychotic episodes that led to mental health facilities and/or subsequent accidental overdosing in the effort to alleviate the all-consuming withdrawal, landing me in emergency a few nights a week. There were periods of abstinence where I was able to gather some pieces of life and sustain living day to day for short periods, until I again experienced an overwhelming trigger and lapsed back into the cycle of addiction.”
Tiffany was in prison when a Services and Programs Officer shared with her a list of rehabs across New South Wales. Destiny Haven was the only program Tiffany applied for. Fast forward to today—Tiffany is now on the verge of graduating.
She is a completely different person.
“I’ve learnt that people aren’t in bondage to past traumas, they’re in bondage to the lies they believe because of the traumas,” Tiffany says. “I am the people in this statement made by Neil Anderson in his teaching victory over the darkness. I learnt that by acknowledging and accepting my past and the associated feelings completely void of any untruth I can overcome it. Not because I am now capable, but because I am a new creation in Christ Jesus.”
“It’s so hard to summarise the best thing about Destiny Haven, but it’s not just a centre where you come and learn how to get well,” Tiffany explains. “It’s a family, where you are taught how to do life well not only whilst in the program but on into the rest of your life. The support, love and encouragement here lasts even after graduation.”
For Tiffany, the most challenging aspect of being in the program is purely the geographical location of Destiny Haven. Being separated from her three kids in Western Sydney has been an ongoing struggle. Because Tiffany doesn’t have her licence, each month she takes a nine-hour round trip to visit them.
Tiffany will soon begin the ‘After Destiny’ chapter of her life, and she’s really looking forward to it.
“I’ve accepted an anticipated offer to undertake an internship here at Destiny for the next 12 months once I complete the program,” she says. “I have also recently applied to Morling College to study for a Diploma of Ministry, which I will undertake in addition to living here full-time.”
“I believe I am called to be an ambassador of reconciliation, to break the cyclical generational dysfunction within my family, to step out and be the change in this world.”
Please join us in praying for Tiffany as she prepares to enter this next chapter!
