Day 6: FAQ

I suspect that some of you may have questions, so today I will attempt to provide answers.  Consider this my FAQ post.

Where is your husband?

As stated in an earlier post, my husband has entered a faith-based, residential program for the treatment of chemical dependency and other life damaging issues.  The facility where he resides is located on the west side of the state.  We are declining to give more specific information at this time, just know that he is in good hands.

Why is he there?

For the better part of our fourteen-year marriage, my husband has struggled with addiction to marijuana and prescription pain killers.  When I married my husband, he was clean, but over the years, a predisposition to chemical dependency, a prior history of recreational use, devastating loss, multiple surgeries, and a myriad of poor choices have created the perfect storm of addiction.

Will you able to contact or see him?

YES!  But not yet.  My husband is currently going through what they call "blackout" -- a two week period when new entrants adjust to life away from home, learn the ins and outs of the program, and detox.  Once my husband has completed blackout, we will be allowed to visit him twice a month.  He will also be able to make phone calls to family each Sunday and send and receive mail from authorized contacts.  (Please do not be offended if you are not on the contact list.  It is restricted to family and clergy ONLY.)

What about finances? Who's paying for all of this?  What about you?

We have an amazing family, incredible friends, a wonderful church body, and we serve a GREAT God!  In short, we are blessed beyond measure!  God has provided all that we need for this day and this month, and I have no doubt that He will continue to do so.  Thank you to each and every one of you who have been His hands and His feet to us.  May God bless you richly!

And probably the most pressing question of all:

How are your children doing?

Remarkably well.  In fact, better than expected...so far.  When my husband sought counsel about entering treatment, it was recommended that we tell the children right away and be completely honest about why he would be going away.  That was quite possibly the wisest counsel we received, and as a result, our children had almost a week to prepare for his departure.  During that time, they each wrestled with his leaving in their own way -- some more constructively than others -- and now that he is gone, they continue to wrestle, but all in all they are doing well.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

What can we do to help?

That's easy...pray, pray, PRAY!  And please be gracious to us as we make our way through this wilderness.