When Becky first came to Renewal, she was spiralling, confused and struggling with addiction. She wanted to change but without the right tools or support, how was transformation supposed to happen?
The Renewal Living programme offered Becky the chance to dream bigger and connect deeper, and since finishing the programme, she has done just that: she is serving full time in Refresh as a barista and cook, and for the first time in ten years, is not on any mental health medication.
Becky was told that she would be on medication for the rest of her life but has worked hard to build the resilience needed to live an unmedicated life. Through God’s help, and the support of mental health professionals and the Renewal management team, Becky is flourishing and confidently taking on new challenges.
One new challenge has been helping manager, Ellen, run Refresh Coffee House. Alongside developing and serving a menu of fresh sandwiches, pies, cakes and coffee, Becky also trains volunteers and looks after Refresh’s budget and purchasing. Pulling on her years as an experienced chef, Becky is bringing an affordable, nutritious and delicious menu to Shaw Heath, an underserved community.
Many of Refresh’s clients are low-income families and pensioners, and there are times when, as she is serving them, Becky wonders if this will be their only meal of the day. Although a small cafe, for Becky, Refresh is a rich mission field where she serves God with her time and gifts, to serve customers with patience and generosity. In her own words, “it’s God’s name above the door, so we want to be generous as Jesus was generous.”
“Generosity” and “servant-heartedness” describe Becky well: she has been so moved by the second chance she has received that she is always there to offer empathy, comfort and prayer to those who need it. She has put herself in uncomfortable and personally challenging situations, just to be a loving friend to those who are in the middle of their own redemptive story.
Becky’s faith has “massively grown” since the Renewal Living programme ended: she felt God challenge her about her faith and who she was doing it for – others, as a performance, or for Him? – so she decided to dig deeper into what God’s plans for her could be. She realised that God wanted to lead her down the path of dealing with her mental health, and as she began exploring the possibility with her team, she realised just how deeply rooted her faith would need to be to make it through the psychological and physical changes that come from stopping medication.
Becky is proud to say that she is now off all mental health related medication and is experiencing emotions she’s not felt in a long time. This is a victory but also a product of constant reliance on God; now that Becky can feel all her emotions, she relies on God’s strength so that they do not overpower her. God gives her the grace to face everyday life and navigate the panic attacks and low mood that she often still feels. She is learning to regulate her emotions with God’s help and is being faithfully supported by Renewal staff and management, who are cheering her on with every leap of faith she takes.
