Thursday, February 16, 2006
Theresa Cont.
Before I continue with Theresa, there is something that I want to point out. Even though when she started out as a young adult, she didn’t know who’s she was. She has invited Jesus Christ into her life and become saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit. Theresa is very active in her church and has come to know the will of God. She studies constantly and witnesses to God’s power on a daily basis. But there were many more things that Theresa would encounter before she came to her senses and realized that she was a child of the most high king.
Luke 8;39
Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
Theresa was still dating Derrick. As I had mentioned earlier, Theresa and Derrick had both gotten caught up in the world of drugs. Crack Cocaine. Theresa was working for a very large department store in the area and had started doing what most drug addicts do best. Stealing merchandise from the very store she had been working at.
What they would do is, Derrick or one of his friends would come in to purchase something. They would make sure that Theresa would ring up their merchandise. Generally, they would get quite a bit of merchandise, which included designer wear and coats. Theresa would ring up their purchases, but only charge them for the cheapest item they had picked up. Generally something that cost no more than a couple of dollars.
They would take the merchandise and return it to another store for cash. They would repeat this a couple of times each week. I’m not quite sure how long this went on, but eventually, they did get caught. Theresa was fired on the spot and was face with the prospect of criminal charges being filed against her by her employer. You would have thought she would have been finished with Derrick at this point but she wasn’t.
The store decided not to prosecute Theresa and she did get another job, but her involvement with Derrick continued. As I had mentioned earlier, my mother had asked Theresa to leave her house. She moved in with Derrick and a lot of what went on at that time, Theresa never told us about.
One of the things that she would later tell us is that one of the reasons that she never left Derrick is that he had threatened to kill her on more that one occasion. In case there was ever any doubt in Theresa’s mind, Derrick would often show her more just how serious he was.
During one of their many arguments, Derrick started physically abusing Theresa again. In an effort to get away from him, Theresa had locked herself in the bathroom. Derrick started beating on the door and threatening to shoot her. Knowing how violent he could become, Theresa climbed into the tub. He began firing through the door. Theresa doesn’t know how many bullets he fired into the door, but she knew that eventually if she stayed in that situation, he would kill her. Shortly after this incident, Theresa moved back home.
Theresa did manage to stay away from Derrick for a time, but eventually, she started seeing him again. She also told him where she was working. He came to her job one day just after she had gotten paid. Derrick insisted that she give him her paycheck. When my sister refused, he began beating her and took her check. Theresa wound up in the hospital with no check and a broken nose.
Before she had gone into the hospital though, another sister, Nita, who I will tell you all about later, took Theresa to find Derrick and get Theresa’s check back. They found him on GrandRiver. I don’t know the exact details of what happened, but I do know that the three of them where in the middle of this big busy metropolitan street on a Friday evening brawling. What I do know is this; Nita did manage to get Theresa’s check back. Theresa was scared of what might happen the next time Derrick saw her.
About a week or so after she had gotten out of the hospital, Theresa had heard that Derrick had been shot and killed. His family, including his mother thought Theresa had had something to do with his murder. She didn’t. Derrick’s family didn’t believe her though. She wasn’t even allowed to attend his funeral.
Proverbs 17 ;25
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.
Once again, we have lost another son to the sins of this world.
Romans 6;23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“One of the greatest tricks the devil had perpetrated was that he convinced the world that he didn’t exist.”
I can’t even begin to describe the heartache that has been caused by the infiltration of drugs into our communities. No one who ever started out on drugs ever thought that his or her own life could be ruined by a small little rock. The most common misconception regarding crack cocaine was that you couldn’t get hooked your very first time. This would be proven wrong time and time again.
Personally, I believe that the crack cocaine epidemic of the late eighties and early nineties by far eclipsed the heroin epidemic of the fifties and sixties. Not only were the lives of addicts destroyed, but in many cases, families, communities, and futures where destroyed by that tiny rock. The effects of that initial wave can and is still felt today and probably for many more years to come.
Psalm 37; 38
But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
The good news is that Theresa recovered. However, another sister, Denise, did not.
Luke 8;39
Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
Theresa was still dating Derrick. As I had mentioned earlier, Theresa and Derrick had both gotten caught up in the world of drugs. Crack Cocaine. Theresa was working for a very large department store in the area and had started doing what most drug addicts do best. Stealing merchandise from the very store she had been working at.
What they would do is, Derrick or one of his friends would come in to purchase something. They would make sure that Theresa would ring up their merchandise. Generally, they would get quite a bit of merchandise, which included designer wear and coats. Theresa would ring up their purchases, but only charge them for the cheapest item they had picked up. Generally something that cost no more than a couple of dollars.
They would take the merchandise and return it to another store for cash. They would repeat this a couple of times each week. I’m not quite sure how long this went on, but eventually, they did get caught. Theresa was fired on the spot and was face with the prospect of criminal charges being filed against her by her employer. You would have thought she would have been finished with Derrick at this point but she wasn’t.
The store decided not to prosecute Theresa and she did get another job, but her involvement with Derrick continued. As I had mentioned earlier, my mother had asked Theresa to leave her house. She moved in with Derrick and a lot of what went on at that time, Theresa never told us about.
One of the things that she would later tell us is that one of the reasons that she never left Derrick is that he had threatened to kill her on more that one occasion. In case there was ever any doubt in Theresa’s mind, Derrick would often show her more just how serious he was.
During one of their many arguments, Derrick started physically abusing Theresa again. In an effort to get away from him, Theresa had locked herself in the bathroom. Derrick started beating on the door and threatening to shoot her. Knowing how violent he could become, Theresa climbed into the tub. He began firing through the door. Theresa doesn’t know how many bullets he fired into the door, but she knew that eventually if she stayed in that situation, he would kill her. Shortly after this incident, Theresa moved back home.
Theresa did manage to stay away from Derrick for a time, but eventually, she started seeing him again. She also told him where she was working. He came to her job one day just after she had gotten paid. Derrick insisted that she give him her paycheck. When my sister refused, he began beating her and took her check. Theresa wound up in the hospital with no check and a broken nose.
Before she had gone into the hospital though, another sister, Nita, who I will tell you all about later, took Theresa to find Derrick and get Theresa’s check back. They found him on GrandRiver. I don’t know the exact details of what happened, but I do know that the three of them where in the middle of this big busy metropolitan street on a Friday evening brawling. What I do know is this; Nita did manage to get Theresa’s check back. Theresa was scared of what might happen the next time Derrick saw her.
About a week or so after she had gotten out of the hospital, Theresa had heard that Derrick had been shot and killed. His family, including his mother thought Theresa had had something to do with his murder. She didn’t. Derrick’s family didn’t believe her though. She wasn’t even allowed to attend his funeral.
Proverbs 17 ;25
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.
Once again, we have lost another son to the sins of this world.
Romans 6;23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“One of the greatest tricks the devil had perpetrated was that he convinced the world that he didn’t exist.”
I can’t even begin to describe the heartache that has been caused by the infiltration of drugs into our communities. No one who ever started out on drugs ever thought that his or her own life could be ruined by a small little rock. The most common misconception regarding crack cocaine was that you couldn’t get hooked your very first time. This would be proven wrong time and time again.
Personally, I believe that the crack cocaine epidemic of the late eighties and early nineties by far eclipsed the heroin epidemic of the fifties and sixties. Not only were the lives of addicts destroyed, but in many cases, families, communities, and futures where destroyed by that tiny rock. The effects of that initial wave can and is still felt today and probably for many more years to come.
Psalm 37; 38
But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
The good news is that Theresa recovered. However, another sister, Denise, did not.
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Great stuff, I've been there done that and know that all you say is true. But the Lord saved me, He called and I followed out of that life style but there's still plenty to work on. Pride and Forgivness, God help me.
Keep writing you've left me hanging.
Thanks for sharing,
Karen
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Keep writing you've left me hanging.
Thanks for sharing,
Karen
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