"I want to thank Jody, Pam, and Brooke, my Stand in the Gap family, for being there for me and never leaving my side and making me feel loved and loving my kids and watching them grow and just loving us for us."
Destiny
Women in Transition graduate
This Is Destiny
Destiny’s story is unique for our Women in Transition program because she was never incarcerated. Instead, we met Destiny through one of our favorite partner organizations, Branch 15. Destiny was in Branch 15’s transitional living program in Oklahoma City. Eighty miles from her hometown, Destiny’s life was truly at a transitional moment when she was matched with her Stand in the Gap small group.
Another way Destiny’s story is unique among Women in Transition participants is that she never lost custody of her young children. For so many of the women we serve, her children are her primary motivation for living safe and sane in the free world. Last year, we saw 115 sons and daughters relationally restored to their moms after mom’s participation in Women in Transition.
My name is Destiny. I’m a single mom of two kids, and I’m a child of God.
My life was really, like, crazy.
My parents were there, but they weren’t, like, emotionally there. So, I kind of took on the role of taking care of my siblings. And, then I started smoking and drinking and other things.
I felt really lonely because I felt like since my parents weren’t there and they said a lot of hurtful things and, in my mind, it’s coming from my parents… So, it really got in my head that I was worthless and all this and that.
I just felt lonely. So that’s why I was like, chasing after boys and just wanting love and doing whatever it took to get it, because I felt like if somebody was with me, that I would feel what love meant and what love is. That was never the case. It just was an ongoing spiral, just downhill. That led me to abusive relationships and then, more drugs, and then another abusive relationship.
I just remember that I wanted better for my kids, but I felt like I couldn’t get better.
Then, my son, he was playing outside, and this happened multiple times where he ran in the road. The cops finally came and DHS had got involved. But, when they showed up, I lied about everything. And I said I was living in my mom’s house.
On Screen: Destiny and her children were living in a garage when Destiny decided to change her life. She and her children moved to Branch 15’s transitional living program in Oklahoma City. Stand in the Gap partners with Branch 15 to provide small groups of mentors to women in their program. Destiny received a Stand in the Gap family.
The Stand the Gap family, we always said, ‘God made our group. He’s the one who put each of us in each other’s lives for the better.’ And it really was.
They know my happy moments, my sad moments, and I felt comfortable telling them those things because they became like family to me.
We met every other Wednesday and we just talked about God and our lives, if we had any God sightings and what our goals and plans were.
We went to Jodi’s house and had a family dinner. We all sat at the dinner table. That’s never happened before. So that’s one of my favorite memories because we prayed, and we were just all sitting there and I had only ever seen that in movies. So I just felt loved and like I actually had a family.
When I seen that, my kids, they start praying now, that just makes me so happy. I just know that we’re going to be a Christ family together.
I want to thank Jody, Pam, and Brooke, my Stand in the Gap family, for being there for me and never leaving my side and making me feel loved and loving my kids and watching them grow and just loving us for us.
On Screen: Today, Destiny has been baptized. She has earned a degree as a Certified Nurse Assistant. She has a driver’s license and a car. She’s volunteering at Life.Church. And she’s preparing to graduate from Branch 15.
Join us at Mission Meet Up on April 22
to get to know our Women in Transition program, serving women like Destiny.
