Gissel: Here I Stand
Standing with Purpose: Heart
Searching for Meaning
Gissel left her home state and settled in Cleveland, hoping to find purpose for her life. Soon she had a job, a relationship, and four beautiful children, but meaning in her life still escaped her. When she left her job to raise her kids, Gissel felt isolated and depressed.
“I became addicted to painkillers,” Gissel says. “My kids saw me miserable, and it wasn’t fair to them.” She went to rehab, but when she came home, the depression — and addiction — returned. “I was a full-blown addict. I needed to leave again and get some help.”
Getting Back on Track
For two weeks, Gissel called Laura’s Home every day. Then she surrendered herself to God. “I prayed, ‘God, we’re in Your hands, wherever You lead us.’ The next day, Laura’s Home called for me to come in with my kids.”
Hear Directly from Gissel
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Finding True Purpose
Since coming to Laura’s Home, Gissel says, “God has been with me. He’s giving me a chance to get it right. It wasn’t working my way. The programs have helped my relationships with my kids and their father. It’s a blessing to experience that, to work on what was breaking me.”
Gissel says the programs at Laura’s Home have also taught her how to deal with difficult situations and made her a better mother.
“My kids have been strong through it all. They’re doing great in school, and they’ve made tons of new friends,” Gissel tells us. “The staff are incredible with them, very caring. Every little need is met.”
Looking ahead, Gissel says, “I want us to have our own place. I might get back into nursing.” Most of all, she plans to keep God first in her life. “If I do that, everything will follow.”
