Christine finds a friend – and a reason to change
Christine Martin now looking forward to the future. (Photo provided by Captain Di Gluyas)
After losing her mother two years ago, Christine Martin slipped into depression. Unable to cope, she relied more and more on alcohol and cigarettes – an addiction that slowly began to control her life.
“After I lost my mum, I turned to the alcohol and cigarette smoking and I was drinking quite a bit,” says Christine. “It was due to the depression because I missed her so much.”
Close to losing her husband and three daughters because of how she was living, Christine attended The Salvation Army in Penrith on Sunday for church and decided she had to change.
“Eight months ago I said, 'that’s it, I’ve had enough, everyone’s had enough'. I wanted to keep my family and I wasn't going to keep my family being the way I was.
“They don’t want to see a drunk mother every night and that is what I was like. I was getting up going to work with a hangover with my eyes half shut.”
The Salvation Army offered Christine support each week, where she soon found friendship and freedom from her addictions.
“I would be a mess,” she remembers of the times when The Salvation Army supported her. “We would pray… and I’d move on. I went through a hard process and I did get a lot of help.
“Without The Salvation Army, there’s no way I would have been able to do it.”
Christine says her whole way of thinking has been transformed through prayer, reading her Bible and attending The Salvation Army centre.
“I don’t stress as much anymore. Before I used to yell a lot at my children and my husband, and I don’t do any of that anymore. I’m very polite towards people and I am loving people as I love myself … and I’m finding people are loving me back and it’s just beautiful!”
Many relationships in Christine’s life were damaged during these years of addiction and anger. But since finding a new way to live, she says her broken relationships have now been restored and her family is proud of her.
“Everywhere I go, people that know me have seen the distinct difference in me. I know how to treat people now and I talk to people now. I’m not saying horrible things to them, and that’s what I was doing for quite a while.
“I tell them what I’ve done – that God has helped me.”
And Christine now has peace about the future.
“When I lost my mum, I lost my best friend. I was looking for another one and I found it in God.”
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