This is a must listen to story. There is so much instruction in this story about love and grace and how to have more of it in our lives. Jesus is the hero of Troy's story, and if you need a hero in your life Jesus would love to be the hero of your story as well.
This is a must listen to story. There is so much instruction in this story about love and grace and how to have more of it in our lives. Jesus is the hero of Troy's story, and if you need a hero in your life Jesus would love to be the hero of your story as well.
I lost count at 40, 40 times that I had went. back and forth to that county jail. Oh, wow. Drug related object charges, parole violation, just loitering charges, just, just out there on that crack at eight, 10 days at a time, not eating, not sleeping, just smoking. It had got so bad when I was in the county jail this past time on that stolen car charge that I called home for mom at Christmas. And I said what are you and my two sisters going to do for Christmas this year? And she started crying and she said, all I want for Christmas is for my son to get his life right straight and when she said that, I went up to the shower, took a shower after we hung up. And the only privacy that you have in the county jail is when you take the shower curtain. When you close it, when you go take a shower. It's the only privacy you have. And I went up there and I cried out to the Lord. I said, Lord, take this from me. I take it because, I like this too much. I'm addicted and I don't know what to do. I cannot stop this. I still carry I'm struggling with forgiving myself for the way that I treated my mom. I would live there sedicted asking her for cigarette money, too sorry to work I, I would sweet talk her into, basically what I was doing is charging her to cut the grass when I lived there for free. It was just, the devil was just had me so twisted and his claws were so deep, that's what, that's how I was treating my mom. But my addiction was so far, I was just lost. And I went through those programs and that didn't help me, but it took Jesus to come in. And tomorrow's hope and people like Neil come in and Let me just say this. I just can't give the Lord enough credit because when I went in the shower that night at the county jail, and I cried out to him, he knew that I couldn't handle it, and he knew where I was headed, and he, and I just, I sincerely was just ready for a change.
Phil Shuler:HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the Safe House Ministries podcast, where we share stories of the power of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. Safe House Ministries is based out of Columbus, Georgia, and we are a ministry that exists to love and serve people who have been affected by addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. I'm your host, Phil Shuler, the Director of Development for Safe House Ministries here in Columbus, Georgia. Safe House serves over 1, 100 people each month as they transition back into our community. Safe House provides an abundance of services including 213 beds for homeless individuals and families, case management for obtaining job skills and long term employment. Over 300 hot meals every day, free clothing, and so much more. One of the most incredible services that Safe House provides is our free 9 12 month intensive outpatient substance abuse program, which is state licensed, CARF accredited, and has no wait list. Almost 100 percent of individuals staying in our shelters who follow our three phase program become fully employed within a few months. And 68 percent of individuals who stay at least one night with us End up finding work and moving into their own home. Thank you for being with us today and listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.
when someone's on drugs, we know what they, how they think. We know what they're about and what they're capable of. The burglaries, the thefts. Scamming people. It's all about the money it's a demon claw. That's what it is. Good morning this morning on the podcast. I've got Troy Gardner and I'm really excited to be here with Troy to hear his story. We've already been chatting a little bit this morning and yeah, thank you for being here, Troy. had a really good upbringing. My mom was went through a divorce with my dad when I was about four or five. She got remarried to a sergeant first class in the army. That lasted ten, twelve years. They split several times and She was a civil service worker for Fort Benning Martin Army Community Hospital and she retired there twenty eight years and then, after that, about a year, she took a year off, then she went to work for Aflac, across the street. I think she worked there with them for about 12, 13 years. She retired. I had a normal childhood. Went to St. Mary's Elementary. Went to Rockchild Junior High School. Went to Carver, and from Carver I went to Hallie Turner. And couldn't make a go of it there, so I got a job at Hart's Chicken. Up on Veterans Parkway there. It used to be called 4th Avenue many years ago. And I had a perfect shift. I had 8 to 4 Monday through Friday. It was a perfect shift. And I had a guy that worked with me. He worked second shift. And we were up there cleaning, getting ready for a health inspection. And he said, I need a ride home if you don't mind giving me a ride home. I said, sure. And he lived in Peabody Apartments. And he said, I got something I want you to try and I said, okay. And, I had always growing up, had to drink a little bit and smoked a little bit of marijuana. But it never was a problem. It was just, I could take it or leave it. It's like a glass of tea. I could literally take it or leave it. Yeah. And he introduced me to crack cocaine. And I was 18 when that happened. And about a year and a half, two years went by and I somehow held on to the job and I started stealing out of the register. And to support my habit, and anyways that went on for probably 6 years. I wound up losing that job and I caught my first felony when I was 26. jUst the addiction to cocaine? Yeah, just, just whatever you can do, I was it got to where people didn't want to see me coming. My family didn't want to see me coming. My friends would drop off and, and the first felony I ever got was a burglary. And it was my own mama's house. And my mom had bought a pair of shoes to go to a banquet. And when she'd come home from work, I had took those shoes back to Payless Shoe Source and got the money. And that was it for her. And so she and she had told me that I couldn't stay there unless she was there, and I'd went to Home Depot at the time, had a key made to the door, and, anyway, I was coming in there, and she wasn't there, and anyways, that was it for her. Everything that she had went to school with the assistant district attorney here at the time, and they charged me with burglary. And give me a five year sentence behind that. Because of the circumstances of the crime. Breaking in your own mama's house, something needs to be done here. Anyways did, wound up doing four years on that. On that, on the five. And never been in trouble, as far as going to the system. Been in and when you were in prison were you still on the drugs, or were you? No, actually I actually gave up the cigarettes and everything. Back then you could smoke in prison. I gave up the cigarettes and everything. And when I got out in November of 99, I got out and I gotta be honest with you, it wasn't two months, man. I was right back. Yeah, just, yeah, and it was just it just, But the same crowd or had you found other people? No, actually, I was a loner. Yeah, the same people I was buying it from. Yeah. In the East Highland area, North Highland area over there. And I lost count at 40, 40 times that I had went. back and forth to that county jail. Oh, wow. Drug related object charges, parole violation, just loitering charges, just, just out there on that crack at eight, 10 days at a time, not eating, not sleeping, just smoking. And wow, where were you living at the time? I was living with mom when whatever she would put up with me, and it was just and this on the streets, if she wouldn't, if it was, Literally, yeah. It's just, I could go there. And see, my mom was bless her heart rest her soul. I was the youngest and only boy. Okay, and if I was at home, regardless if I was addicted or if I had a job, was doing good. Mom was at peace with me being home. Because she wouldn't have to worry about me. Finding me in a ditch somewhere, you know something. Yeah, and so and so that went on for several years and Long story short, she just My sister's, I got two older sisters. They just wouldn't have anything to do with me wouldn't answer the phone when I called just you know, it was just a journey this, it was just a it got so bad that I would go to Local churches. And, I'd walk in there and I'd describe them a sad story about, my fixin to cut my power off I need groceries, I'm on the side of the road needing some gas, just a job story to get the pastor or the secretary or whatever. Give me some cash or write me a check. So you had gotten good at just spinning a yarn and telling a story? I had gotten, my felony record was so long and so intense that Judge Allen, I don't know if you remember him, Judge Allen actually told me, If you come before me or the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit again for another felony, I'm going to send you away for a long time. And when he told me that, I forget what year that was, when he told me that it was look, it's time to make a change. If you're going to do this out here, then you need to leave the law alone. So that kind of was a little bit of a wake up call? Yeah, stealing motorcycles and cars and, breaking in homes and, that's got to stop. So the demons came in and said, look, let's redirect this route. Let's try to, let's do something a little different. So I started, so I would, I'd knock on doors and ask, could I cut grass? This I'm picturing a cut my power off kind of story, and And what I would do is, I would literally play on someone else's conscience. I would, to get them to give me money or whatever, or let me cut their grass, wash the car, whatever, and that went on for several years, but this just the past record, just a string of felonies, long story short but what led up to me going to Tomorrow's Hope? So I was messing with a friend of mine. His mom had just passed and she had a Toyota Camry and it was evidently supposed to be willed to him. And he gave me the keys to it one night and said, Look, why don't you go around and scam up and hustle us up some money so we can, smoke. And and I did that and I'd come back. So I built up a level of trust with him when he sent me out one night and I didn't come back with the car. And I chose to stay out with the car. And two or three days went by, and the car quit on me. The water pump, I just stayed in the car for three days, never cut the car off. Even getting gas, I'd never cut the car off. Finally the water pump quit. And so I left the car up on Chevron on River Road there. And, told them I'd be back to get it, and I walked off. So I went home to rest about two weeks later. And Mama said the Sheriff's Department's looking for you. And I was like okay. So I went on in and laid down. And the next morning I was already on probation, so it was a probation warrant. Next morning, I guess my mom had just had enough. She called the parole officer and they came out. There was about seven of them around my bed, wow. Yeah, it was just amazing. Wow. Waking you up in your own mom's home. I can imagine waking up, yeah. Yeah, she's standing in the hallway looking, and I've got people across the street from my mom's home over there. She lived over there. Lloyd Road off the Delta Church's Road area right across from the swimming pool there, and they're still there They're washing the cars in there, you know cutting grass and they're seeing me getting put in the back of a police car And it's five sheriff's cars at the house, you know So anyways I wound up doing about 14 months at the county jail on that car And so the DA had offered me a five serve two suspended upon the completion of RSAT which is a Drug program nine month drug program in the state Correctional system. Yeah, and keep in mind. I had already did this one time once before. I already did this once before Did the RCEP program right? We completed and got back out and got back on the drugs as it turned out You know the they were so overcrowded they didn't transfer me and here it is five months later after I was sentenced I'm still sitting in county jail. So I reached out to the Public Defender, Rachel Hunter at the time, I don't know her. And she, So you have to send her my email from the kiosk machine in the county jail. And she emailed me back, she said, why don't we amend the sentence? And I was like, what does that mean? So the next day I checked the kiosk machine and it said the DA is offering A five served, two suspended upon the completion of Tomorrow's Hope and six months in the Grace House. So she just came back? So that's what they did is they amended the sentence. They changed the sentence. So she reached out to Tomorrow's Hope and Safe House. You're sitting in the county jail. You've been sentenced. They don't have a bid, so you're just sitting there occupying space. That's what happened. And so by this time, I've got 14, 15 months clean now in the county jail. And Neil Richardson was pastor in the county jail. He was the chief sheriff at the time. So did you know Neil in the jail then? I had corresponded with him a couple times from the past. And then, he said, we're waiting on the bed, blah, blah, blah. And this was a Friday Friday morning, so I checked it again. And they said I'm going to send you some paperwork to sign, blah, blah, blah. If you sign this paperwork, we'll try to get you out of there today. And Wow. Here we go. So Rachel must have talked to Neil about getting you into SMARTSOAP, and you didn't even know it. And see, I had emailed her on that Monday, and so everything, they had been corresponding about me, and there was a couple of other guys that was So she was really trying to help you out and work for you and That's awesome. And so as it turned out, Monday morning, so I got out that Friday. Yeah. Monday morning, I was scheduled to transfer to RSAP. Yeah, so that was a, that was the first thing the Lord did. Wow. I was at the Grace House and serving Tamar's Hope and I had got a job at Extreme. PRessure washing and lawn care. And that was working out pretty good for me. It's full time work and it's during the summer. So you're doing the Tomorrow's Hope program. I'm doing the Tomorrow's Hope at night. And working. And working during the day. Yeah. And staying at the Grace House at night. It was just it was just It was very challenging and I made a decision. So when Neil Neil came to the dorm about one, one, one o'clock in the afternoon, on Friday afternoon. And I had been there, Every bit of 13, working on 14 months, I'd been there a long time. And there was, as it turned out, there was two Michael Gardners in this dorm with me. It was me and another guy. And I was a white guy, he was a black guy. And so they said, Michael Gardner, roll your stuff up. And I was like, okay, I was sitting there right there at the table playing cards. I said, I know they're not talking about me. There's no way. Yeah. So black guy, Michael Gardner, he gray, he rolls his stuff up and so the deputy sheriff is standing there with paper He said, you're not this Michael Gardner, so anyway, so they pointed me or roll your stuff up. I said, okay. So I figured someone had a problem with me in the dorm or had told the police, get me outta there. This was the sheriff's that were there, right? Yeah, inside the dorm. The men's shelter? Yeah. No, this is inside the dorm at the county jail. Okay, gotcha. And and I'm like so here comes Neil Richardson. He said, you ready? So this was the, before, getting you into the program. Oh wow. Yeah, since it's Friday. And and I had signed the, Electronically I had signed off on the paperwork on the kiosk. And but I didn't think it was going to happen that quick. So this was the Friday, That neil came and they came to get you right before the run the monday following that you would have been transferred. Yeah and so the amended them sentence went through and everything and he it was me and another guy He was in another dorm So we got in the back of the car with neil richardson and he was explaining to us. How the Lord had a plan and, we was, he was explaining this as he was driving. So we pull up to the Grace House and we're in the Bailwood area and, it's got three houses right there. And many years ago, these houses, this is the Lord working. thEse particular apartment complexes, I used to roll through there and walk through there and buy crack. And so the Lord has made these apartments into a men's shelter, a drug rehab. Wow. Wow, yeah. so Neil gets us there, me and this guy. Good. See you. And he says, look, it's up to you. You've been down there. Both of you guys have been down this road before. You have a chance now make a decision and make the right call because if you don't, it's obvious where you're going and what you're going to do in and out. It had got so bad when I was in the county jail this past time on that stolen car charge that I called home for mom at Christmas. And I said what are you and my two sisters going to do for Christmas this year? And she started crying and she said, all I want for Christmas is for my son to get his life right straight and when she said that, I went up to the shower, took a shower after we hung up. And the only privacy that you have in the county jail is when you take the shower curtain. When you close it, when you go take a shower. It's the only privacy you have. And I went up there and I cried out to the Lord. I said, Lord, take this from me. I take it because, I like this too much. I'm addicted and I don't know what to do. I cannot stop this. I said, and then, and this was, Early in my account of jail, this last time in the account of jail, it was early. And so this is all, this is the Lord working, but I'm not realizing at the time that the Lord's working. He's getting me in this grace house. And, one thing leads to another and I get out of the car with Neil, and he shook our, both our hands, he said, good luck. As it turned out, the guy that I was with, that came with me, he left that night. I Guess he's, made other, had other plans. But my mother was thinking at the time that when I got to this rehab that, here we go again. We're just going to go through this cycle again. So I called in her home and I said, Mom, I'm at the Grace House fixing to start this program. Can I come home and get my clothes? She just snapped on me. She said, this is just, you're just going to keep going and keep doing this. Yeah, come on, get your clothes. And I asked the Lord, I said, Lord, guide me because I have a choice now. I can leave here now. I'm back on the street now. I can leave. I can go, and something came in and said, you know what, let's just, it's the Lord talking to me. Let's just try it. Let's just see, yeah. Because what you're doing is not working. It's obvious, you got a felony record this long. You have, you ain't even got a pair of pants to put on, this is where that dope has got you. So let's try something different. I got that job and I started making money, trying to save it money. And mom got real sick, so I asked Dr. McCoy at the I don't know if you know him. Yeah, Darian McCoy. Yeah, he's a great guy. Facebook friends with him, great guy. Great guy. And he said, look I said, I need to get out of the Grace House. I need to go be with my mom. I said, but I don't want to get out of Tomorrow's Hope program. I had been there about three and a half months, and it's a six month, you're required to complete it. Yeah. And he said, I'll tell you what, why don't you just write. A one page story of how Tomorrow's Hope and myself has impacted your life. Once you do that, I will try, I can't get you out of Tomorrow's Hope. You are legally mandated to complete Tomorrow's Hope, but the Grace House, I'll make it help you. Anyway, so he called probation and got with Neal and everything. They got me out of the Grace House, so I was still on probation. Completing the Grace House program. The Tomorrow Show program. But I was not in the Grace House because Mom was sick. Yeah, so you're going back to living with your mom. So I went home to live with her and I had the guy, Tyrone, was picking me up every morning, taking me to work. And anyway, long story short I had all this money that I was saving at the Grace House and they gave me my money. It was right at 2, 000. And I had met my wife now, Cindy. I don't know if Cindy. Yeah, I do, yeah. So you knew her. I had met her in 2017 at the Daily Report Center. But she was with someone at the time, so I backed off and respected that. But I ran into her again at Wal Mart on Gateway. With my supervisor at Extreme, where I was working. We were in there buying some parts for a lawn mower, but anyway. And met her, but it's a long story. It's just such a joy that she, that the Lord had a plan working with me in my life through Tomorrow's Hope, through Cindy. It's just and when my mom passed away in 2022 in February she hadn't been at the Columbus Hospice 90 seconds since she had passed away. Wow. And my two sisters were there, and Cindy was there, and I was there. And my mom, my two sisters said, Please don't leave here and do anything stupid. And I was like, you know what Sharon, That's the last thing my mama would want. Is for me to do that, and, I take that money that I had saved from the Grace House, and my mom had loaned me some more to help me get a truck so that I could start my own thing. And have, not only, They have a way to go. So the Lord showed responsibility. You've got to have insurance. You got to have a tag, and when I first completed tomorrow's hope, I went out to the Georgia driver's license bureau and got my license back. I ain't had my driver's license in 16 years and went out there and got my driver's license back. So that was the Lord working there. And it's just, it's just so overwhelming at the things that he's done since then. So here I am, a tomorrow's hope graduate. Married, got a home. We have four vehicles and a motorcycle, a boat, some lawn equipment. We even have somewhere to keep the lawn equipment. I had a customer bless me with a shed. Wow. I'm giving it to you. It's only three years old. Just pay to have it moved. That's okay. I still carry I'm struggling with forgiving myself for the way that I treated my mom. I would live there sedicted asking her for cigarette money, too sorry to work I, I would sweet talk her into, basically what I was doing is charging her to cut the grass when I lived there for free. It was just, the devil was just had me so twisted and his claws were so deep, that's what, that's how I was treating my mom. And but lo and behold, mom got to see three years of me clean. Having my own place, a wife. We're both working. buT I'll tell you when I knew in my heart that I was sincere and serious about this. I was working for a company called Amazing Scapes. I don't know if you've ever heard of it. Yeah. And I just started about, I was a crew leader, and I was about three months into them. This was right before I got my truck. And we were living in the Rose Hill area, and Amazing Scapes was about eight, nine blocks away, and it was raining. It was 630 in the morning. And I was like You've got no way to work. You've got no car. And I've been using my mom's car, long story. When she didn't have doctor's appointments, she didn't mind me using her car. She trusted me. And she needed the car that day and it was raining. And I was like, you know what? If I lay out of work today, there's no telling what I'll do. But I do have a bicycle. And it is raining and it is cold. So are you gonna be a man? And go to work? Like a responsible adult would do, or are you going to lay out and just, go back to the old Troy. So I got on that bicycle and went to work, in the rain. And so I knew then, it was in my heart then, to do right, to live right. And not to go back to those old ways, I'd be like, Lord help me. But just a few things to touch on what the Lord's done. I have customers about a year and a half, two years ago, they would come out and tell me that I had integrity. And I want you to know that I like broke my ankle trying to get my cell phone to the truck to find out what that really meant, wow, it means trust. It means following through with your word. It means, a man, anytime that you are renting from someone, you obviously have a landlord. And anytime that landlord is writing you a check, you're doing something right. The Lord is working. You're doing something right here, okay? And anytime that you have customers coming out and giving you trucks, literally say, look, we want you to take this truck and we want you, even though you have two, we want you to take this truck and we want you to do your landscape of business out of this truck and pre and clear. It needs a battery and an oil change. Other than that, it's ready to go. it's just one of the many things the Lord has done. My wife is in ministry and she helps in ministries to the sex traffic, drug addicted homeless women in town. And I see how that helps her, how that impacts her. We're laying there at 830 at night and we're watching TV. Andy Griffith, we're watching TV and the phone will ring. It'll be one of those girls needing something. And I'm like, Really? Here we go again. And then I'm thinking about, Wait a minute, this is what the Lord's called her to do. And this is what the Lord's called me to do I had one of the counselors about five, six months ago call me from call my wife from the Daily Report Center, wanted us to come down there and speak. And, he, after everything was over, he said, y'all did great, shook her hand, blah, blah, blah. He was actually my counselor at the Daily Report Center and he said I see that you're going to your meetings and I see that you're doing what you're supposed to do. Obviously you've got five years clean working and actually working on six now. He said where did you go to your meetings? Who's your sponsor? I said, sir, I don't go to meetings. I don't have a sponsor. I said, Jesus is my sponsor. tHey're in a state correctional system. They're. Society's way of dealing with addiction is, going to rehab and going to places like the Daily Report Center. And that works for a lot of members of society. That works. But my addiction was so far, I was just lost. And I went through those programs and that didn't help me, but it took Jesus to come in. And tomorrow's hope and people like Neil come in and Let me just say this. I just can't give the Lord enough credit because when I went in the shower that night at the county jail, and I cried out to him, he knew that I couldn't handle it, and he knew you know, and where I was headed, and he, and I just, I sincerely was just ready for a change. Wow. And yeah, so it was just, it's just, it's so overwhelming, the things that he's done, and the things that he's going to do. I have two commercial properties. Georgia Farm Bureau on Armor Road. It's a little insurance place, right? Yeah. I'm actually, I'm in charge of that property. People, when they leave at night, obviously you can't be up there with a weed eater and a blower blowing dust on people going in the business. So they want you to do the property after hours. At night or on the weekends. And I do Faith Christian Center over in Phoenix City. And so these people are trusting you to be on their property when they're not there. And what a change. Because used to, if that was an opportunity for me, I'd try to kick in the door and see what I could steal to support a crack habit. Now the Lord's given me these businesses. And trusting me with people not even being there, these commercial properties and I just think that it's so Jesus working. Yeah, yeah, it's just so many things that I can sit here and tell you that he's done He's restored my relationship with my two sisters He's given me a new family with my wife and their and her family and he's restored them and it's just Towards hope it's just you know, it was You It was Jesus coming in and doing it. I compare Jesus, let me explain this to you. I compare Jesus to a brand new Honda self propelled lawnmower. Let me tell you why. Jesus is doing all the work. He is cutting all the path, and he is getting all the clippings up. He's cleaning up everything in front of him. All this mess in front of him, he's cleaning it up. And all you have to do is walk. But when you let go, You see what I'm saying? Yeah. But as long as you're holding on, He's cutting the path, he's cleaning it, He's getting all the clippings up, and he's restoring it. You see what I'm saying? Yeah, it does make sense. And so if you let go of the handle, Then there's no telling where you're gonna go. But as long as you're holding on and you're walking, Following. Because he's doing all the work. Yeah, and you're following. Yeah, he's doing all the work, all I have to do is just listen and be obedient. And, but it took 29 years of a suffering crack addict for me to get to this point. And, I gotta be honest. I'M not perfect. I still smoke cigarettes. I still suffer from being selfish. Have selfish ways. I'M into this routine where I get off work and I want to go home and prop my feet up and eat dinner and watch TV like normal people do. But my wife's that's not fair to me. I'm ready to rip and run. I've been in the office all day ministering to the girls and I want to get out and move. You want to come in and breath. So we've actually worked that out, there's some still some areas That's my point that I didn't need addressing It's just so wonderful to praise him and to thank him for Redeeming me. Yeah You know in the work that he's done in my wife's life, it's just amazing What he is. Yeah what he has done And, and he provided tomorrow's hope and the grace house for me. And I have this famous saying, and I use this towards my wife, but If you have ten girls lined up, and you are trying to help these young girls, okay, whether it be getting the driver's license, getting the food stamp started get them a place to stay whatever the case may be, taking them to the doctor. If you have sincerely helped one girl, Then I think you've done your job. Does that make any sense? Oh yeah. Yeah, and so I think that was the case with me. I Was brought to Tomorrow's Hope and the Grace House with a guy. And he left that night. That could have been me. Yeah. Yeah. It reminds me of the time when Jesus healed ten lepers and only one of them came back to tell him thank you. Yeah, that's really amazing. So how did you initially come to know Jesus as your Savior? I had, it's a funny story. I was, I think I was eight, seven or eight years old, and me and my mom and my stepdad at the time were watching TV and this devil come on the screen, we don't know what we were watching, and he's got this hood, he's red, and he's got this hook, and I said, mama, what is that? And she told me, she said, son, that's the devil when you do something wrong. She explained it to him. I forgot the exact words, but she said, son, that's the devil. That's the route you don't want to take. And I said, oh, okay. And so I believe if I remember correctly, I was saved at a young age. But I knew that I couldn't do this out there on the streets with those drugs. Yeah. And I, it just, I knew it was going to kill me. And I didn't want to put my mama through that. And I didn't want to go through that again. I just got. iF I'm not mistaken, I think it was 59 times I went to the county jail. Wow. And it was just obvious that something, this is just not working. You're just your train of thought and your thinking, it's not working. So I asked him in that shower that night, come in and take this from me, please. Because I can't. The demons are basically tricking me into thinking that this is what I was put here for just disrupt society and just take and steal and be selfish and knock on somebody's door with a sob story and, just no, I don't want to do that no more, man. Wow. Yeah. And Jesus, please take this from me because there are a lot of things I can do. I can be a man. I can get up and go to work and I can pay rent. Actually, I can pay a rent ahead of, a month ahead sometimes, like we are now. I can do that. But those drugs, man. I Like it too much. Stop it. Come in and intervene. Take it from me. And he did. That's amazing. There was no, there's no N. A. meeting for me. tHere's no N. A. meeting, no a. meeting, no Cocaine Anonymous meeting. It was going to help me. I was just too far. And they help a lot of people. I give credit to that. They help a lot of people. But not for me, it was just, I was just too far gone. It took Jesus to steer me and to get me back on the right track. Yeah, he changed your life. He did, and I, it was just, I was just, I just, I mean I could sit here and tell you stories and make your mouth drop. But, yeah of things I've done and there was a period for about a year and a half where the only reason I would get up out of bed is to get high. I didn't have any money, no decent clothes to wear. I was living at home with mom. She's on a fixed income. Didn't have any cigarettes to smoke, but I'm gonna tell you what I did have. That was a smoking device and some more dope to smoke. And that is the only reason for about a year and a half that I even got up out of bed was to get high. Yep. It was just, and it just, Lord take it from me, because I can't do this no more. Please, come in and redeem me and take this from me. aNd he did. Praise the Lord. And it, but it didn't happen overnight, and I wanted it to happen right now. But it didn't. And and I have, I still have some issues, man. I'm impatient. I, get angry real quick, yeah this, I can't get through this yard fast enough so I can get to the next one, but I'm dealing with the daily problems as they come. But as long as I keep Jesus first, And no, in my heart, sincerely, he knows your heart. You make a fool of society. You might fool your supervisor at work, but you can't fool him because he sees. He knows your heart. And, as long as I remember that it was him that took that life from me and gave me a new one. That's awesome. Just hold on to that. Hold on to that Honda Lawn Mower because he's doing all the work. He's clearing the path. He's getting all the clippings and He's basically giving you, he's restoring it. Yeah. But you can't let go. Yeah. Don't back off and say, OK, God, I got it. Thanks for the help. You can't do that. You gotta hold on. Yeah. Now are you involved in any kind of ministry or are you guys going to church anywhere together? I am involved in a Saturday morning Bible study, which is my friend, Blake Russell, if you know him. Oh, yeah. Is he holds a men group and sometimes there'll be 11, sometimes there'll be 25 of us. And we have the meetings at PMT Church over in Phoenix City on the 11th. And it's on Saturday morning between 8 and 9. 30. But this past week, Blake had something to do or he was sick or had somewhere to go or something. And so there was about 10 or 12 of us that showed up, but nobody had a key to the church. So let me tell you, let me show you a little bit about what God's doing. We're standing there in a circle. We're waiting on someone to come with a key. Evidently, Mr. Kinney had the key. He didn't. He didn't come for some reason so we all went to Burger King on Stadium Drive and had group right there. So that's the Lord saying to you, Just because we ain't got a building, I've got y'all. We'll go somewhere else, and and that's what we did. And we were a part of Evangel for a while, but between me and my wife's work schedule, let me explain to you. The career I chose, when it rains let's say it rains Tuesday and Wednesday. So all the properties that I have on Tuesday and Wednesday, obviously you can't do because it's raining, is put off Thursday to Friday. Now Thursday and Friday's properties are put to Saturday and Sunday. We have a Bible study every morning in our house. This just started about a month and a half ago, me and Cindy. And so we mainly come from Proverbs, because Proverbs is big on wisdom. Yeah. And there are either 30 or 31 Proverbs. Yeah. And like today's April the 3rd, so we did, we read three, so that's what we do. And then Saturday morning, I had the Bible study. And so Cindy actually works in the ministry, so she gets the Lord every day. But when we have a chance and when our work schedule will allow us we will, we'll go to evangel. But I don't miss, even if I have to work that Saturday, I don't miss Blake, I don't miss that. Cause I, I get a lot from that. The Lord speaks to me through them. And obviously Cindy. does her ministry during the week. So she gets the Lord gets to pray in the prayer room every day. So that's how the word the Lord's put us right now. Okay. Whatever door he opens or whatever Avenue he wants us to go, that's where we'll go. But right now that's what he's given us. I don't like working on Sunday as to Sabbath, I don't like working on Sunday. But I do make time for him. Yeah, whether it's Saturday morning, whether it be me and Cindy my wife on the bed on Bible study every morning, that's, we do make time for him. We have to give him thanks and let him know that we appreciate him and what he's done for us and how far he has brought us, both of us. It's just it came to, it was, people didn't want to see us coming. Yeah. Now my wife's in the ministry, and I got people telling me I got integrity. Look at God. It's just, it's amazing. anD that's where I'm at with it, right now. And whatever the Lord, whatever avenue, whatever road He chooses for us, that's where we're gonna take. And so my wife is we'll celebrate five years clean this coming August, and I'll have six in November. So it's been a journey, it's been a journey. But it did, it started with Tomorrow's Hope. They implanted that seed in me. juSt some great people working there. Darren McCoy, Neal Richardson. Yeah, it's just amazing. At what the Lord's done and what He's going to do. Yeah, that's awesome. Troy, is there anything that I didn't ask that maybe I should have or any other little anecdote or anything that you want to add? No I just apologize for not coming last Wednesday. I forget what happened. But no, I was just glad I was able to sit down and again, and the reason I say that to ten people, if there is someone out there listening to this, whether what, regardless of what time of the day it is, if whatever I can say or do. 706 587 7481 is my phone number. Call me day or night if you're struggling I can, I could have a quick answer for you, but I can tell you what it, how it worked for me. And, if you, if I can help, one person out of 20 or one out of 10, then, hey, I've done something. I'm just glad I was. I had a chance to sit down and if I can help someone I will. That's awesome. I'm pretty, I'm real, real good about answering strange numbers from my phone because of customers, hey, I got your number from so and can you come over, blah, blah, blah, I'm real good about answering my phone, yeah. If anybody, wants to call and just say, hey man, I need an encouraging word, I'm going through this. I'm down here in the hood, I need some help out of here, I don't want to be here anymore. I'll do anything I can to help. That's awesome. I'll come get you a meal, buy you a pack of cigarettes if I have to, and just, let you know that the Lord's working. He helped me, and He will help you. Wow. Just hearing you share, hearing your story, I know that there's been a lot of wisdom within that story and some things that you've called out. As we're wrapping up, are there any specific little nuggets of wisdom or lessons that you would like to call out that you've learned over the years that you want to share? It's just amazing. Or what he can do. It's a choice. Yeah, you don't have to do that anymore. It's, And I pray that answers your question. But, I, It's just amazing. The journey that he's brought us on. Again, if I could help in any way with someone, man, because I've lived that. And, When I go get gas in the morning at Circle K, I mainly go to the one on 2nd Avenue. I see people sitting by the door, depressed, and I want to approach them and say, look, are you okay? You need something to eat? And I'm real quick to give someone some money at McDonald's, someone, I don't know, if you go through the drive thru, you'll see somebody standing there, asking for money, I'll give them some money, because I know, I've lived that, I know that five or ten dollars I'm giving you will help you, Or stop you from breaking into my car or stealing, breaking into my momma's house or someone's house. There you go. bUt, there is a choice. Yeah. And, but you gotta, you just gotta ask. tHere is a way out. It went on with me for 29 years. I, I'm the youngest and only boy was raised by three kids, three girls. And I didn't even know what a fight between two men was like until I got to jail. And I had to learn that on my own, but you don't have to go through that. You don't have to, you don't have to do that. You don't, man I didn't learn how to, how do you, how do they say on the street to hook? You how to fight until until I got to jail, until I went to prison. Yeah. And you don't have to go through that. You don't have to do it you, you can, there is help, there is a way out, if Jesus can do it, and it's what it took for me, and that's my, yeah, that's my how do you say it, that's my story, I'm sticking to it, yeah yeah, but I appreciate the opportunity to come in, man and if there's someone out there listening that can that needs some help, give me a call, man, give me a text, something I can do, I'll come get you, and me and my wife will get in the car, we'll come get you, we've done that. You need some help moving. It ain't like we ain't got enough trucks to help you move. We'll help you move. We'll, we'll pick you up, man. Get you something to eat. Take you somewhere. Maybe get you into a program. Just get you off the street for a little while. Let you know that what the Lord's done for us and anything that we can do to help, we're on board with that because that's what it took for us, but I'm still, like I say, I'm still having issues. I'm still struggling with forgiving myself for the way I treated my mom while she was here, even though she got to see three years clean. Still selfish, still suffer for the tobacco. I just, I, the Lord has just worked, done so much, this loan service is I just I was wondering how I was going to do it because I say I worked for Extreme for a year. I worked for Amazing Escapes for a year as a crew leader. And then I worked for Donald Brown at Custom Cuts out in Salem. And I did that for a year. And I noticed that the only thing different between me and them was that they had the trucks and they had the equipment and they had the lawns and the commercial properties to do. It's the only difference. And here they are, they're not making boo coos of money because the trucks will tear up. The machines will tear up, the lawnmowers will tear up. And I was like wait a minute, let me ask the Lord what to do here. He's save. So I would get enough to get me a set of trimmers, gas powered trimmers. And then I'd save for two months and then I'd have enough to get me a backpack blower. So I got them two. So we'll get a weed eater next. A couple months we'd get a weed eater why you gonna get to these jobs? And that's when the truck came into play. And so now I've got over 40 properties that I do, that I maintain. And I've got, actually I've got so many that I, forgive me Lord, but I'll forget them if I don't. Get a text or something. And so that's how good the Lord has been. He's given me so much work. anD that work, and I'll be honest with you, what it does is it keeps me in tune, and it keeps my mind occupied, and it doesn't let me stray. You need to do this because this is what it takes to keep your vehicles going, and this is what it takes to keep food in you and your wife's mouth. This is what it takes to keep people going. See, all this is new to me and Cindy, society's been doing it the whole time. I'm not looking for a pat on the back. But it's new to us. Paying rent, paying car insurance, six months in advance. Four vehicles and a motorcycle, that gets pretty high. It's pretty expensive. And so we're able to be in contact with the Department of Human Resources with our boat, the Game Warden. We're able to pay, you to keep the registration going on the boat. It's called being responsible. And I never knew what that was about. And my mom would always tell me, Stay away from the thermostat. Don't turn it up. Because that costs money. And I didn't know what that was at the time. I just, I didn't know I was cold. Now I know. When that liberty bill comes in, Wow, that's 180 bucks. What's wrong with these people, yeah. You need to stay away from that thermostat. sO here I am trying to be a man and what I was telling you a while ago, there are still some things about me that I don't like. There are some times when I don't want to get up in the morning. I don't want to go do this. I don't want to go out here and do these four or five properties all day and wait until six o'clock before I come in. I don't want to do that what would I do? iT's Every, every man don't want to get up out of bed and go to work, but I do. Yeah. Mom's not here anymore. My dad, bless his heart, he's not here anymore. My grandparents are gone. Somebody's got to get up and pay these bills. Somebody's got to be responsible. And I'll say this and I know that we'll wrap it up, but I, this is where I'm at with it. And I've told my wife this before and a few other people and I'll tell you. If anybody's out there listening to this, please take heed. I would rather sit at the end of my bed and stare at a stack of bills and wonder how I'm going to pay them rather than go back and do what I used to do. Smoking crack and stealing. I would much rather sit there and think how am I going to pay this? How am I going to pay this? I'd rather do that. They do what I used to do and that's where I'm at with it. It's It's not all fun and games and I can promise you it won't happen overnight, but there is a way out. Wow. Jesus. Wow. You have an amazing story. A testimony that, just some amazing things that the Lord has done. And is going to do. And yeah, and continuing to do on that journey. Wow, I'm so glad. Thank you for being here, Troy. Yeah, and my word to society and anybody listening, just don't let go don't let go of the hope. Don't let go, let him work. Let him do it. There's gonna be some things that you do that you ain't gonna wanna do. If you've got a warrant on you, you, go on down there and take care of it. Because that's what the Lord's plan is. Get, take care of it. Whatever the case may be you're not always gonna like it. It's not always gonna be fun. Amen. jUst, but don't let go. Because if you let go, then this don't tell him what's gonna happen. But as long as you got your hand on that handle, and he's doing all the work. Yeah. You know where this is gonna, you know where he's gonna take you. But if you let go of that handle, this don't tell him what's gonna happen. Yeah. You might be okay over here in the right corner, you might not. So don't let go. Follow Jesus instead of trying to make your own way. Yeah. Yeah. Because what I did wasn't working Yeah, that's good. That's very good. You mind if I close this and I do not please Father I love you, and I thank you for Troy. I thank you for just what you have done in his life Thank you. Thank you for his mama for the grace and love that she showed him over so many years Thank you for Redeeming Troy. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for allowing me to meet Troy and to hear his story today to be able to do this podcast, to share that story, to be an encouragement to many others. Use Troy's story. Use Troy's life. To help those who are in bondage still to raise awareness for safe house ministries so that you can raise up more partners that would come alongside of this ministry and give in support of this ministry to help change lives. Bless Troy and Cindy in their marriage and bless the path that you want them to walk serving you. Thank you for your goodness and your grace in Jesus name I pray, Amen. Amen. Thank you, Lord.
Phil Shuler:We look forward to being with you again next week as we share another testimony about the power and the goodness of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. if you are someone listening to this podcast that loves to hear these stories of the great things that God is doing in changing people's lives for the better, and if you would like to be a part of that work, please reach out to us You can reach us at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus, Georgia, 31,904. You can call us at seven oh six three two two. 3 7, 7 3, or you can email us at info@safehouse-ministries.com.
Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-2:Thank you so much for being with us this week for the renew restore and rejoice podcast of safe house ministries, we pray that God will bless you this week. And we look forward to having you back with us again next week for a new episode.