Issue 1| 2023

TRANSFORMED LIVES
BY SHERIDAN CORREA
Commitment
+ Consistency
KEYS TO TRANSFORMATION
IN JULY 2012, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL
saying my soon-to-be ex-husband had
been awarded full temporary custody of
our two sons. Two days later, my children
and I were separated. My heart broke into
a million pieces.
My sadness turned to rage, and I took on
the victim role. Roots of bitterness grew
deep, and I hurt many people (Hebrews
12:15). Intense shame and depression set
in, and I slid into a hopeless pit. I lost all
sense of who I was and my life’s purpose.
I had no one to blame but myself. Seven
years of poor decisions caused by drug
and alcohol addiction had led me into dark
places where I had neglected my children.
The court ordered that I would have supervised
visitation, pay full child support, and
attend family drug court for a year.
I set out to avenge my motherhood, but I
was quickly overwhelmed because I didn’t
know the Lord and I was fighting my battle
alone. Four months into the court program,
I failed a random drug test. The court took
disciplinary action, but I didn’t have the
courage or strength to follow through with
the requirements.
My shame and selfishness kept me from
taking responsibility and fighting for my
life. I gave up and gave myself over entirely
to my addiction and a life of lawlessness. I
became homeless, revolving in and out of
psychiatric hospitals and jail for years. My
children were distant memories.
If you read my story in Issue 03/2022,
you know that the light of Jesus Christ
overcame the darkness of my life (John
1:4–5) while I was in jail awaiting a prison
sentence. Right there, Christ made
me new—He gave me a new heart, a clear
mind, new desires, and a new will to live
and love again. His presence and Word
gave me strength, courage, and hope for
future reunification with my children. My
heart clung to the promise that with God,
all things were possible (Matthew 19:26).
Then He stepped in and made a way for
me to go to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, a
Christ-centered facility providing solutions
for people trapped in cycles of homelessness,
addiction, and poverty. There, I committed
my whole self—heart, mind, body,
will, emotions—as a living sacrifice to God
and renewed it daily (Romans 12:1). I laid
my relationship with my children and their
father on God’s altar. Only God could bring
the healing we needed.
The first few months I was at the Mission,
I wasn’t allowed to have contact with the
outside world except through writing to
approved people. Each week, I wrote my
two sons. I didn’t know if they were getting
my letters, but I continued to pursue them
in faith.
Three months into the program, I received
permission to call them twice weekly.
God planted the words commitment and
consistency in my mind. Commitment and
consistency were new ideas for me, but I’ve
since learned they are critical components
for life transformation.
A couple months later, my boys were
approved to visit me. I loved those weekend
visits! We would talk, laugh, and play
games. I was grateful their dad allowed
these interactions.
Eventually, I got a car and gained even
more freedom. I felt hopeful and eager. I
was ready to be their mom again and to
have unsupervised visits. But their father
said, “Not yet.”
This delay hurt, and I felt rejected. I’d
worked hard and made significant progress.
But my addiction, actions, and brokenness
had betrayed the trust of many, especially
my sons’ father. It would take time to unravel
and reshape the mess I’d made. I had
to trust God’s timing and His ability to heal
and change hearts. If I rushed the process,
I might cause more delays.
“Commitment and consistency, Sheridan.”
The Lord kept urging me to stay the
course, to not react to my hurt feelings, and
14 Issue 01 / 2023 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM