The Power of a Mother's Love - Jennifer Teagle Part 2

Jennifer shares about the great love her mother gave her and the powerful influence for good it had on her life.  She also shares about the unexpected and disastrous side effects of the COVID pandemic that had nothing to do with actually getting COVID...

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's out there!  We appreciate all that you do!

Transcript

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Speaker 4 0:00

Thank you for joining us this week for the Safe House Ministries podcast. This Sunday is Mother's Day and we want to just give this episode out as a tribute of the amazing work that mothers do in each and every one of our lives. Jennifer actually shares about her mother in this part of her story and the sacrifice that her mother made, the love that her mother showed over such a long period of time. Even when Jennifer was 30 years old, she talks about how her mother essentially took her back into her home and paid all her bills and just really took care of her because she was lost in darkness and bondage of addiction. Jennifer also will share how after her mother died, that was the motivation that she needed to get clean and get out of her addiction because she wanted to just show her gratefulness to her mother and just as a way of responding to the love that her mother showed her over all those years. This is a great episode, you're gonna love it. And happy Mother's Day to all the mothers. I hope that each and every one of you listening is gonna celebrate your mother and if you're married to a woman who is also a mother, celebrate her. I know I'm grateful for my amazing mom who did so much to invest in me, to train me, to love me, to really shape me, to be the man that I am today. And I am extremely grateful for my amazing wife and all that she does to invest so much in our children's lives. So thank you to all you mothers out there. Happy Mother's Day for this upcoming Sunday. God bless you and enjoy this episode.

Phil Shuler 1:58

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 people each month as they transition back into our community. Safe House provides an abundance of services

2:29

Including 184.

Phil Shuler 2:31

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.

Jennifer 3:10

And then I had my mom when when I turned, I don't know, I'd say about maybe around 30, she took my s- check and she started paying my bills for me.

Phil 3:19

Really?

Jennifer 3:19

And she started handling everything, and, um, to try to help me a little, little bit so that I- Yeah would stay at an apartment. She'd pay my rent and stuff and do stuff for me.

Phil 3:28

Wow. Yeah. And so you, you just voluntarily kind of asked gave that to her and- She

Jennifer 3:33

took, I gave it to her. Yeah.

Phil 3:34

That's good that

Jennifer 3:35

she helped you out with that. And she took care of me up until, She took care of me up until when she got sick.

Phil 3:39

Okay. Wow. So, um, I'm just uh, just thinking about what you've been through and, and those things, and how it really could've been so much worse, but the Lord just watched over you in a lot of ways. I know it was, it wa- uh, you probably even haven't, haven't told us the half of, of how bad some of the things were.

Jennifer 3:58

Um- Oh, yeah. My, the last, uh, spout of my recovery was, um, I had five years clean. I had a great job. Um, I was building a house. I was on the board of directors at Safe House. I was happy as can be, and I took that last turn to go back out again.

Phil 4:14

So wha- wha... So you, after five years clean, your life on such a good path, what drew you back in to the drugs?

Jennifer 4:21

The pandemic hit.

Phil 4:22

Yeah?

Jennifer 4:23

When the pandemic hit, shelter in place, couldn't go to my meetings. I was then going to meetings every single day. I got

Phil 4:30

I- Like, you're talking about NA meetings?

Jennifer 4:31

Mm-hmm. I went every single day. And it just shut down the town. I got with a guy, and, uh, I hadn't had a relationship in five years or anything, and I got with a guy, and, uh, it took a turn. Mm.

Phil 4:44

And

Jennifer 4:44

before I knew it, I was back into my addiction.

Phil 4:47

Wow. Was that, the guy that you got with, he was someone that was involved in that life and he kinda drew you back in? He's the

Jennifer 4:53

last guy I was with. Ugh.

Phil 4:54

The one that was the so abusive? Yeah. Wow.

Jennifer 4:58

Yeah.

Phil 4:59

Yeah. I wonder, you know, I bet there's, that's a story that a lot of others have experienced with COVID and the way things changed and-

Jennifer 5:07

Well, yeah, you're sh- kind of shut in your house. You, you couldn't go out. You could do Zoom meetings and stuff like that. Um, right before, um, COVID hit, I lost my job, and, um... No, well, was it right when COVID hit? No, uh-uh. It was a couple months after COVID hit I lost my job. But, um-

Phil 5:24

Wow

Jennifer 5:24

yeah.

Phil 5:24

And that put you in a bad head space, and then-

Jennifer 5:27

Well, on Monday I lost my job. On Tuesday I was told I couldn't have my house because I lost my job, that I was- Oh fixing to sign the papers on. Wednesday I got evicted. Thursday they repossessed my truck. Wow. That was my last spout,

Phil 5:38

is that, is all of that what kinda pushed you to find that guy to be in a relationship with? Like, was it pretty

Jennifer 5:43

quick after that? No, I was in it with, I was in it with him then.

Phil 5:46

Oh, you had- I was- just started already, right? You

Jennifer 5:48

just- I'd just started the relationship with him. I'd been in it, well, a year and a half maybe. But, and it was all peachy at first, and then-

Phil 5:54

So you didn't know the kind of person he really was?

Jennifer 5:56

No, not until m- a couple years in. I mean, it just started coming out, and it just got worse and worse and worse, and, um, and then it just got possessive and got pretty rough. Yeah. Pretty rough.

Phil 6:09

What do you think w- Kept you from seeing maybe the signs that were there before it got really bad. Did you just kind of ignore certain things like-

Jennifer 6:16

I was back into drug addiction. I kinda ignored a lot of it. I had lost everything that I had worked for for five years. I mean, I had worked hard, Mm. Yeah. I was the first graduate of Tomorrow's Hope,

Phil 6:27

ever?

Jennifer 6:28

Me and Albert. Mm-hmm.

Phil 6:29

Wow.

Jennifer 6:31

Yeah. Yeah.

Phil 6:31

Wow.

Jennifer 6:32

Yeah, I worked for Sa- I've been involved with Safe House for 10 years.

Phil 6:35

Now, how did you originally get connected to Safe House Ministries?

Jennifer 6:39

Um, I just started going there when, um, when, uh, I'd go get donuts. Crazy. But I used to go there in the morning times sometimes. Um, I had a car. I'd drive there and go get donuts, and, um, I had just started back into my addiction.

Phil 6:52

Yeah.

Jennifer 6:52

Yeah. And,

Phil 6:54

So when you... This was, uh, so after the five years of being clean, when you got back into your addiction, that's when you would g- k- found, found out

Jennifer 7:01

about Sa- No, I f- my, my five years of clean was the day my mother, uh, passed away, I went clean.

Phil 7:07

So that spurred, that event, your mom passing away- Five years.

Jennifer 7:10

Yeah, I went straight to Tomorrow's Hope. It, this was 10 years ago when Tomorrow's Hope was the first program. Wow. My mother died in 2017.

Phil 7:17

And you had been, you had l- been going to Safe House- I- and, and getting the donuts and- Yeah things prior to that. Yeah.

Jennifer 7:23

And then when my mother passed away, the day I buried her, I went clean on May 30th for five years.

Phil 7:29

Tell me about that. That, because mo- most of the time in the stories that people tell me- It

Jennifer 7:36

sends them into addiction.

Phil 7:37

Yeah. It was- But it's like it did the reverse for you. Mm-hmm. So tell me about how that, how that happened and what- It

Jennifer 7:42

was so traumatic to me that my mother could, she wanted me... My mother was the best, and she couldn't see me clean, so I said when, the day we buried her, that I'd never do drugs again. And it stayed, and it stuck for five years. I worked hard. I mean, I, I built my life back up. I was, I had financial stability. Um, I worked for Safe House, and then I got my CPS certification from Georgia Mental Health. I got I got on at West Central. I was a peer mentor at West Central. Um, I still did the coas- cold seasons for Safe House for, um... I did the cold season except m- minus maybe one for the last 10 years, I've done the cold season. I did, I did the pandemic for United Way. I mean, I did all that.

Phil 8:21

Wow. I've

Jennifer 8:22

always, they've always been able to call me.

Phil 8:24

Yeah.

Jennifer 8:25

Yeah.

Phil 8:25

Wow. I, I think that's so neat that, that you, something positive came out of that, that- Oh, yeah your mom had been such a positive influence in your life. She loved you. Mm-hmm. She tried to help you. Even though she never saw you turn and come back to the right path- Her love is what carried you through- Mm-hmm after she passed, that- Mm-hmm that just was the motivation to- Mm get you on the right path.

Jennifer 8:51

Mm-hmm.

Phil 8:51

I think that, I think that is a testimony to the power of love. Just that, ah, wow.

Jennifer 8:58

Yeah.

Phil 8:59

Wow. Five years.

Jennifer 9:00

Yeah. And then when the

Phil 9:01

pandemic hit- And then COVID came and you- Yeah lost everything and, and you were in that bad relationship- Well- and it just-

Jennifer 9:07

Well, right before COVID hit my appendix ruptured, and I had to go in the hospital. I was in the hospital for four months because I went septic, and I was on all the medications.

Phil 9:16

Wow. That's a, that's-

Jennifer 9:17

That lowered my- another

Phil 9:18

thing. I mean, you- That lowered my- there's

Jennifer 9:19

so

Phil 9:19

much that hit you all at once

Jennifer 9:21

that lowered my the threshold. You know, it lowered everything because they put me on a lot of pain meds and everything, and it got it back into me. Um- Wow I was in the hospital from right after I got my CPS certification, I started Georgia Mental Health. I was in the hospital for about four months because they couldn't figure out what, what was going on, and I had to have a few surgeries. I had to have my appendix removed, and then I had to have another surgery that they had to do, and then they had to send me to the rehabilitation center because I couldn't walk. And so I got... They put me back on all those drugs, and it just, it got back in my system. And then when I got out, it, it carried on into it a

Phil 9:57

little bit. And then, and then COVID came, and you couldn't go to the NA meetings- Mm-mm and that was a time when you really needed that support structure.

Jennifer 10:04

Mm-hmm.

Phil 10:05

That is... I mean, that-

Jennifer 10:07

I hid-

Phil 10:08

That is such a description

Jennifer 10:08

of- Hid back in the drugs. I hid it for a while. No, it's- Wow a lot of people didn't even know.

Phil 10:12

Oh.

Jennifer 10:13

And then it got out of hand. Were

Phil 10:13

you still going to the NA meetings a- and you had- Uh already gotten back into the drugs?

Jennifer 10:17

I wasn't going to NA meetings, but I was still working. And I kept it hid for a good year. A, a while. Wow. And, uh, people didn't know. I mean, they had their assumptions, but I didn't ever lose my job because of that. Yeah. Um, uh, I lost my job when, um, I just started having it so bad with the guy I was dating. I lost my job because my... the, along with the drugs the mind was not there. The me- mental, he was breaking me down, so I wasn't... My, my mind wasn't on my job where it should have been.

Phil 10:47

Yeah. Wow. And man, and then it just, everything crumbled from there. Would you tell us, maybe, just give us a couple of stories of some of the craziest things you did or saw.

Jennifer 11:01

Like in...?

Phil 11:02

I don't know, just some of the, the things that, uh, that are cautionary tales maybe.

Jennifer 11:08

I don't know. Like- Explain more.

Phil 11:10

Uh, so like, I don't know, just being in a, in a trap house or at a party and just something crazy happened or something that... Uh, just any kind of sc- scary situation or, traumatic situation, just something that, that, um-

Jennifer 11:27

I mean, we've had, um, we've had to Narcan people. I've been in houses where they had to Narcan people.

Phil 11:32

Like the police came in and-

Jennifer 11:33

No, we had to do it. I mean- Yeah I've been

Phil 11:36

there.

Jennifer 11:37

I, I've watched some

Phil 11:37

of my

Jennifer 11:37

friends

Phil 11:38

die. Like multiple people OD in

Jennifer 11:39

and- Die. I've watched a few of my friends on heroin die. And, um-

Phil 11:44

Wow

Jennifer 11:44

I had to, um, we had to Narcan several girls. I mean, I've seen where they just, uh, they've been dead four or five minutes, and we don't think they're gonna come back and you're scared to death that they're, um, they're gonna die, and then all of a sudden they, they come back,

Phil 11:58

because of the Narcan?

Jennifer 11:59

Um, I've been in trap houses where the police are sitting outside and I watch them get... Well, like in my house, I watched them get my trash several times. I mean, you know what I'm saying? And I've had a situation where one of my friends got killed and, um, the boy came to my house after they killed the person, and I've had to sit and, you know, watch that and then be questioned by the cops the next day several times. I've had several situations like that.

Phil 12:26

Wow. So one of your friends was killed a- and you got questioned about it from the police?

Jennifer 12:31

Well, they came to our house afterwards, you know, and was-

Phil 12:33

Was it at your house that it happened?

Jennifer 12:34

No, it was up the street, but they searched my house for the weapon and, and stuff like that. Um-

Phil 12:39

Cause of the connections that you had with the person who-

Jennifer 12:41

Well, they, or he was at my house when they, 911 called him, you know. And they, they, he walked up the street. He said he didn't want any, uh, involvement with us. He walked up the street and let them get him when, uh, when the boy died. So

Phil 12:52

he had killed the boy down the street- Mm-hmm and then had come to your house.

Jennifer 12:56

Well, he came to our house and asked my roommate how they, how did he think that he should handle the situation, and she told him what she thought, and he went home and, um, some situations happened, and he came back to my house after it happened, but I was, luckily, I was asleep the whole time. I had went to sleep that night.

Phil 13:12

Wow.

Jennifer 13:12

But, um, but yeah. And then the next day, they come over searching my house and, uh, you know, for the, the weapon 'cause they couldn't find the weapon and stuff like that. I've been in houses where they have come in to hide weapons after they killed somebody. I've been at several different raids where the cops have come in and you don't know what's gonna happen or what's in the house or what's going on, and it's a very scary situation of watching your back all the time. I mean, I, I used to, you know- Daily when I'd leave my house, as soon... If I ever got pulled over, it would be, um, the cops would be right behind, the dog would be right there with them. You know what I'm saying? They, they, two cars would pull me over always because of my association. It just was a constant look over my head, uh, every single day. It's so good not to have to worry about anything like that now. Because it was for 30 years- Mm uh, the houses that I were i- was, was in was constantly watched. And it was a constant every day, When are they gonna get me? Are they gonna get me, and I'm gonna be there, and it's gonna be something heavy, and I'm gonna go to jail forever," i've been around several people that've, that's killed people, and you never know a- how they're gonna, you know, react. A lot of different situations like that.

Phil 14:21

Yeah. Did any of those scenarios or the, the stress and weight of being in situations like that, around people like that, did it just i- it wasn't enough to, to push you to try to get clean and get out of that life?

Jennifer 14:35

No. I mean, it was just scary every day and, but that's a, a, that's people in addiction. They, that's something they have to live with every day. And they can s- they... Anybody, and it doesn't matter what side of the addiction you're on. If you're on the selling side, if you're on the buying side, it doesn't matter which one, because they want all of you. You know I'm saying? They want the sellers, they want the buyers to rat on the sellers. They j- they, uh, it's ne- it's a, a constant turmoil every day in your life of getting high because you have to go to the drug dealer's house, you have to take, transport it to your house. You have you're at a drug dealer's house with drugs all in it. It's a constant turmoil every day. I, there's no way after coming out of it and looking back, there's no way, there's no fun in that really. I mean, you have your fun highs and sometimes, but but still, it's a constant look over your shoulder every day. There's no fun in it.

Phil 15:30

Yeah.

Jennifer 15:31

And then it just becomes so repetitious that, I just don't see how people don't get out of it sooner. Uh, drugs-

Phil 15:36

But it just becomes their life- Yeah and that's just all they know, and maybe there's no hope for anything better.

Jennifer 15:41

Yeah.

Phil 15:42

Wow. So, uh, I'm assuming that the police probably tried to get you to turn on a lot of people over the years. Yeah.

Jennifer 15:50

Like,

Phil 15:51

Did you ever, uh, do any-

Jennifer 15:52

I've never had to do that, no. No? Mm-mm.

Phil 15:53

No. Did you... Okay. So did they ever ask, and you just didn't know the,

Jennifer 15:57

enough- Oh, they've questioned several times. Yeah.

Phil 15:59

Yeah.

Jennifer 15:59

Oh, yeah. But I mean, it's not-- They have a job to do, and I understand that, but that's not my story to tell. That's on them.

Phil 16:06

Yeah.

Jennifer 16:07

Let them do their work and let them, because when you do stuff like that- It's gonna come back at you. Like- You know? It's gonna come back. I mean, you don't-

Phil 16:15

So you never did that because you were too afraid of- Oh,

Jennifer 16:17

yeah, because- of

Phil 16:17

someone killing you or-

Jennifer 16:19

Yeah, they would- Or- They... I mean, that's just not something to play with. You know what I'm saying? It's not something to play with.

Phil 16:24

Yeah. Not

Jennifer 16:25

to me. Just

Phil 16:25

that, that fear. Never. Yeah.

Jennifer 16:27

Yeah.

Phil 16:28

Yeah. Yeah, 'cause, I mean-

Jennifer 16:30

I still have to go back into the world with all these people. There's no way possible I could do anything like that. But, you know, it, it, it comes down to are you gonna cover them or are you gonna cover yourself? That's a tricky situation, but-

Phil 16:41

Yeah uh- But I guess if you're gonna, if you're gonna try to make a better life for yourself and work with the police, y- you have to believe that you can get out of the life. Yeah. And so if you didn't, if you didn't believe you can get out of the life-

Jennifer 16:54

I knew I wasn't out of it

Phil 16:55

then you would still be back around all those people. Yeah. And so that's where the fear of the, uh, retribution comes in.

Jennifer 17:01

Yes, sir.

Speaker 2 17:03

And that is the end of part two of Jennifer Teagle's story. And I just love how the power of her mother's love was able to reach through to her and wake her up and bring her out of the bondage even after she passed. Her mom loved her so much and showed her such love over a long period of time that that made such an impact that after her mom died, Jennifer decided to get out of that life, to get out of that bondage and to get clean, for five years. Uh, that is a testimony to the power of love. So to all the mothers out there again, thank you for what you do each and every day. Mothers make such a huge difference in all our lives. And I know personally that I am very thankful for the mother that I had. And I'm very thankful for my amazing wife who is such a phenomenal mother to our seven kids. To all you mothers out there, again, happy Mother's Day and thank you all for listening. God bless you. Tag your mother and share this podcast with her and just tell her how much you appreciate all that she's done for you. God bless you. We'll see you back next week.

06-21-23 SAFEHOUSE-CH2 18:17

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

Speaker 18:40

7,200 Manor Road.

06-21-23 SAFEHOUSE-CH2 18:42

Columbus, Georgia, 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.

Speaker 4 18:53

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.