Addiction Tried to Define Her—Christ Set Her Free: Tabitha’s Story
“Who am I?”
This question haunted Tabitha for years. Growing up in a military family with three sisters, her childhood was happy, but her teen years brought struggles that shaped her path.
At 14, a move to Michigan made it hard to fit in. She drank alcohol for the first time at a party, a turning point that damaged her self-worth. Later, she sought purpose through nursing. “I’m going to be a nurse and I’m going to mean something,” she thought. But her drinking continued, and what should’ve taken four years took eight.
She earned her RN license at 24 and became a mom. Though she stayed sober during pregnancy, she returned to drinking afterward, building her identity around being a nurse, mother, and wife. “I had something I could say about myself,” she recalls.
But her life began to unravel when a loved one started using meth—and she tried it too. Addiction followed, costing her nursing license and separating her from her son. She tried rehab twice but relapsed. Pregnant with her second child, she briefly found motivation to stop—but the cycle continued.
She had no interest in God. “If there was a God who let this happen, I didn’t want anything to do with Him,” she thought. But one day, after relapsing again, she found herself crying out to God in the car. Soon after, her family intervened.
After graduating in 2022, Tabitha regained her license in 2023. “He had to take it all away,” she says, “but He’s restored everything and then some.” Her sons live with her again, she’s working as an RN, and she’s active in church, now leading discipleship classes.
“I just aim to please Him now,” Tabitha says. “Nothing else compares.”
Your support of Teen Challenge helps women like Tabitha find freedom. Consider giving today to help others discover new life in Christ.
“Who am I?”
This question haunted Tabitha for years. Growing up in a military family with three sisters, her childhood was happy, but her teen years brought struggles that shaped her path.
At 14, a move to Michigan made it hard to fit in. She drank alcohol for the first time at a party, a turning point that damaged her self-worth. Later, she sought purpose through nursing. “I’m going to be a nurse and I’m going to mean something,” she thought. But her drinking continued, and what should’ve taken four years took eight.
She earned her RN license at 24 and became a mom. Though she stayed sober during pregnancy, she returned to drinking afterward, building her identity around being a nurse, mother, and wife. “I had something I could say about myself,” she recalls.
But her life began to unravel when a loved one started using meth—and she tried it too. Addiction followed, costing her nursing license and separating her from her son. She tried rehab twice but relapsed. Pregnant with her second child, she briefly found motivation to stop—but the cycle continued.
She had no interest in God. “If there was a God who let this happen, I didn’t want anything to do with Him,” she thought. But one day, after relapsing again, she found herself crying out to God in the car. Soon after, her family intervened.
Reluctantly, she entered Teen Challenge in January 2021. “I didn’t want to go to a ‘Christian jail,’” she admits. But something changed. “God just opened up my heart.” The music, sermons, and Scripture softened her. She discovered her true identity: “I am His. I am worthy. I am beautiful.”
After graduating in 2022, Tabitha regained her license in 2023. “He had to take it all away,” she says, “but He’s restored everything and then some.” Her sons live with her again, she’s working as an RN, and she’s active in church, now leading discipleship classes.
“I just aim to please Him now,” Tabitha says. “Nothing else compares.”
Your support of Teen Challenge helps women like Tabitha find freedom. Consider giving today to help others discover new life in Christ.