Lilly

I want to tell you about an amazing young woman.  She has such a beautiful name but I hesitate to use it here so I shall call her Lilly.  Lilly is 27 years old and she is alone in the true sense of the word.  She has been a friend of my daughters for many years and has tried so many times to get sober.  She has 40 days clean and has moved in with my daughter for support.  She came to the house with one small suitcase that contained everything she owned.  In the suitcase is three small boxes of ashes; her mother, brother and grand mother.  It was the cheapest form of burial she could come up with.  Her mother came out of prison when Lilly was 12 and died of a heroin overdose within days, her brother died of the same thing 2 years later.  Her blind grandmother was caring for her until she began to care for her grandmother and grandma died 6 months ago.  Lilly has  one remaining relative, an aunt who lives on the street and has already lost an arm to "bad dope".

I've been around a long time and I know the "spark" when I see it, I know what "hope" looks like in the face of an addict.  She understands the basic concept of "God could and would."  My daughters home group has taken this child to raise.  She has rotating dinner nights in the members homes, they have scheduled her meetings, they are mentoring her and loving her and pouring as much of themselves as they can.  This is her chance....this is God putting all the right people in her path and of course the hardest part of all...is will she accept the grace that God is so freely giving her.