Meet Marcy
August 31, 2023, Written by Tiffany Tucker
Marcy had the biggest smile and most welcoming spirit. Joy was almost palpable when she smiled. Her demeanor is certainly a far cry from the state Marcy was in prior to beginning her journey of sobriety. Battling a disease she knows will be part of her story all her life, Marcy has defied the odds of generational addiction and begun scribing a new story of hope and redemptive grace.
Marcy found herself at a dead end and in jail in 2022. She had seen many years of sobriety until an abusive relationship drove her back into the chains of her addiction. During her years of sobriety, Marcy relocated from South Florida to Central Florida. It wasn't long after that she found herself sliding back into the habits that would lead her to relapse. She sank to rock bottom following her sister's passing and then her son overdosed just 9 days later.
She remembers crawling around on the floor and finding an old stone with the word 'HOPE' written across it. She recalled crying out, "God, please help," in her exhaustion and pain.
As I was sitting listening to Marcy's story, I would have never imagined that at the time of her arrest, she was whittled down to a mere 90 pounds. She was literally losing herself to her addiction. She had a home, yet found herself living in the streets. Though she did not intend for her plea for God's help to end in her arrest, she attributes that to an answered prayer.
Upon her release, she knew she would not be able to return home successfully, so she moved into a sober living facility. This ultimately led her to Wear Gloves. One of the sober living facility’s criteria is to establish stable work. She was introduced to Wear Gloves in March of 2022. Since then, she has maintained her sobriety, maintained her employment, and even moved back home. She travels 40 miles in one direction to come to assemble parts and considers it a blessing to have found this place of refuge. She confidently stated, "There's hope here.” This is why she continues her commute all the way from her home out in the country. She was blessed with a car, which is making her travel less burdensome but just as fulfilling.
It's the love and the people on campus that keep Marcy coming back. The resounding hope that is found within the fences here at Wear Gloves offers a security and confidence that many do not find anywhere else. At the state when "I didn't think my life was worth anything," Marcy states this place, "Gives me a sense of purpose."
"I love my life today, " Marcy stated with her big bright smile. Her network of friends, working here at Wear Gloves, and her good support group all fill Marcy with such happiness. Seemingly reflecting on her journey, she gently broke and spoke thoughtfully through tears, "God is using them(Ken & Wendy).....there's so much hope here."
Now Marcy aims to give back what God has so freely given to her. "I'm here to help other people," she said. She'll continue showing up and sharing her story. She realizes that her journey and heartache have not been in vain. She's determined to use her story to help give others hope. She's planning a trip to go see her kids and grandkids in South Florida. She also has a son in Jacksonville and a daughter in Utah. She'll keep attending her meetings in Gainesville and here in Ocala; all while lending a hand at the facilities. "I want to give back," Marcy said with a smile. She has dreams of returning to Belize one day and opening a recovery program of some kind.
As our conversation was nearing its end, Marcy said, "I love the way God has worked my life out .....I have to remember where I came from…my story has an impact….I realize I had to go through what I went through to get to where I am now." She then shared with me the title of a song that she calls her song, "Rescue Story", by Zach Williams.
As I went back to my car and pulled up the song to listen, I heard part of the lyrics say, "You were louder than my shame." At that moment, I realized a beautiful common thread weaved through all the stories of hope I hear. It's hand-stitched into the tapestry of those putting on their gloves daily and carrying God's rescue story in and out of these four safe corners. His story of love, acceptance, and grace. It comes to the brokenness of all our stories to speak louder than any of our shame; at the end of the day, we are all God's redemption story. Rescued. Restored. Loved.