When I called Shannon Shorter to talk about Celebrate Recovery, she was in the middle of a lunch date. She and three other women from CR were in Charlottesville on their way to visit another friend who was in the hospital there.
“It’s been a 180 for me,” Shannon said. “I've never had friends, so having people I can talk to, people I can text when I'm having a bad day, whenever I need them, it helps me a lot. I have grown so much.”
This Shannon is a different person from the one who in September 2012 thought the world didn’t need her anymore.
After years of being severely abused, and, in turn, abusing herself, she felt she could not go on. She describes what happened next:
“I was on the computer when something came over me, and I typed in Blue Ridge Community Church. I do not know why. I emailed them and pleaded with them to help me. ”
From that email, she received a response from Lifeline, and then a call. She also got an email from Debbie O’Brien about a step study starting through Celebrate Recovery.
“Lifeline knocked, but CR opened the door, and exposed the light among all the darkness,” she said.
Shannon now calls CR her family, and she also serves there on the kitchen team.
“That was Oct. 2012, and I have never looked back.” Shannon said. “I have surrendered everything to God — my life, my son, my boyfriend, and my family. I know God has them, so I can work on me; to be a better mom, soon-to-be wife, daughter, and friend; but most of all to be a better child of God.”
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered discipleship program that meets on Sundays at 4:30 pm.