This conclusion episode of George Jackson's story opens up with George getting shot two times on one day, and still not taking that as a wakeup call to change his life. It was only a couple years later when his daughter came to him with some choice words that it struck his heart and led him to seek out the Lord and change his life.
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Episode Transcript
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Phil Shuler (00:00):
HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the
(00:03):
Safe House Ministries podcast,where we share stories of the
power of God to change livesthrough Safe House Ministries.
Safe House Ministries is basedout of Columbus, Georgia, and we
are a ministry that exists tolove and serve people who have
been affected by addiction,homelessness, and incarceration.
I'm your host, Phil Shuler, theDirector of Development for Safe
House Ministries here inColumbus, Georgia.
(00:24):
Safe House serves over 1, 100people each month as they
transition back into ourcommunity.
Safe House provides an abundanceof services including 213 beds
for homeless individuals andfamilies, case management for
obtaining job skills and longterm employment.
Over 300 hot meals every day,free clothing, and so much more.
One of the most incredibleservices that Safe House
(00:45):
provides is our free 9 12 monthintensive outpatient substance
abuse program, which is statelicensed, CARF accredited, and
has no wait list.
Almost 100 percent ofindividuals staying in our
shelters who follow our threephase program become fully
employed within a few months.
And 68 percent of individualswho stay at least one night with
us End up finding work andmoving into their own home.
(01:07):
Thank you for being with ustoday and listening to our
podcast.
We hope you enjoy this week'sepisode.
George (01:13):
So I get off from work.
Two weeks later I'm thinking,it's gone.
Two weeks later, guess what?
Him and his friend came back.
I had just walked in the house,got in there about nine o'clock,
sitting around.
They getting high, so why not?
Mess around.
I see the truck.
I said, wow.
Y'all got a good truck out here.
So we sat there.
(01:34):
Next thing you know I heard twodoors.
Boom, boom.
So I'm in the bathroom.
Huh?
They came in, they said, whereJap?
Ain't nobody say nothing.
They said, I know.
Y'all heard me.
What Jap?
I said, shoot, I'm in thebathroom.
Phil (01:45):
They called you Jap?
George (01:46):
Jack.
Phil (01:47):
Jack,
George (01:47):
yeah.
Phil (01:48):
Jack.
J Oh, JAP.
That's your nickname?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Street name.
George (01:53):
They came in the bathroom, man, and he opened the
door and I seen the gun.
Yeah, I seen the gun, so Ididn't run.
He said, now when you had that,now what?
You supposed to deal with it?
I said, I told you, thank Godthat a god.
He pointed at my leg and itsnapped.
Yeah, it was on safety.
So he passed it back to the guy.
He said, take it off safety.
So I'm standing there.
(02:13):
I'm standing there.
Phil (02:14):
So he You're standing in the bathroom?
Yeah.
I ain't trying to move.
He tries to shoot you, but itwas on safety.
George (02:18):
Yeah.
So he turned around and got thegun.
He said, now what you did whenyou had that knife?
I said, thank God that's aguard.
He shot me Pow
Phil (02:24):
right here.
George (02:25):
Yeah.
Phil (02:25):
And you just, you didn't try to
George (02:27):
no.
When he shot me, I grabbed himright here, pushed him straight
back out that door, throw himdown that arm and grabbed that
gun.
By that time I looked up, theguy had that nine pointed right
here.
Oh yeah.
And I told him, I said, Hey, Idon't think you better do that.
I said, thank God, that's aguard.
Got up, limped back, went behindthe door.
The door was up about like that.
The light was shining.
Phil (02:47):
So the guy was pointing a gun at your
George (02:49):
chest?
He didn't shoot.
He didn't shoot me.
Like he let me got up, walkedbehind that door and the light
was shining like this.
So the door had a crack up onit, but I had locked it.
They came up to the door andtried to open it.
They couldn't open it.
They looked up under therebecause of the crack like that
and shot scraped between thedoor.
That's when they hit me with thenine in the side.
Phil (03:10):
Now what door was it?
Was it the bathroom door or theNo, it was
George (03:13):
the bathroom door.
Phil (03:13):
It was the So you went back into the bathroom?
No, no.
George (03:16):
It was the bedroom door.
The
Phil (03:17):
bedroom.
So you got shot in the I
George (03:18):
got shot in the bathroom, then came out the
hallway.
Yeah.
Phil (03:21):
And then t with
George (03:22):
him, with the, with the 22 and then went behind the
bedroom though and that's whenthey shot through the door and
hit me in the side.
Wow.
Yeah.
Phil (03:30):
Yep.
What happened then?
George (03:31):
Uh, man, they took off.
Then I got up, man, I was so, Iwas so in a rage, man.
My adrenaline was pumping.
I walked to the door, askedKevin, I said, Hey, did you call
them folks?
I ain't gonna say what I toldthem.
He said, yeah, sit down, don'tyou hear I'm coming.
And man, I got to the hospital.
I lost so much blood.
Phil (03:49):
The ambulance, they called someone called 9 1 1.
Yeah.
Yeah.
George (03:51):
My partner, the cabin, the same guy that stopped me
from Must the same guy calledthe ambulance.
Lost so much blood took methere.
I had two operation, majoroperation.
First they sliced me from hereto there to relieve the pressure
because when the 22 hit me, ithit the fibia.
It came out the fib, and it hitthe Pope tear.
When it hit the Pope tear, itcame out and closed.
(04:12):
So that mean I bled to theinside.
Pope tears the main artery.
Yeah.
It bled to the inside and themore it started a lot of
swelling.
They had to hurry up and get methere because it was killing a
lot of nerves.
I have a lot of nerves, a lot ofnerve damage in this right leg
from here, all the way downhere.
From right here, from my ankleto my two toes, it's numb.
Wow.
(04:32):
Yes.
And right here, by the way, theyshot me since I was bent over.
The nine came in.
In your stomach or in yourwaist?
In the, in the side.
In the side.
I was bent over.
So when it hit me by the impactfrom the door, slowed it down.
So when it hit, I was able tosee when it hit and it came out
and vibrated, but it never wentout.
(04:52):
Oh, no.
They had to do immediatelysurgery and take off four inches
of my intestine to try to findthe bullet.
No, the bullet, they couldn'tfind the bullet'cause they
thought it had ed it out becauseof the way my, this right here
had split.
Phil (05:04):
Yeah.
George (05:04):
No, the bullet landed down here.
Wow.
Yeah.
The 20, the nine millimeterlanded down by, on the left side
of my inusal.
Wow.
Yeah,
Phil (05:13):
man.
Yes.
Did they said they have to goback again to try to find the
bullet later then, since theydidn't.
Well,
George (05:18):
That was in the op the two main, uh, operation.
What they did, they took offfour inch of my intestines.
Sewed that back up.
They split this, huh?
Redid my pope tear, but theydidn't do the the fibia, that's
the small bone to the sidebecause it was cracked that
automatic heal.
Wow.
Yeah.
I was saying, I see you by thegrace of God.
(05:38):
You know, when they shot me,only thing I can tell the Lord
was, Hey, comfort me.
I'm not ready to go comfort me.
Yes.
So when I got there, they say,when you about to die, that's
what I hear.
That you got cold.
That you get real cold.
I remember that because when Itold that nurse, Hey, it's so
cold up in here.
I don't remember nothing elsetill that Tuesday morning about
(06:01):
12 o'clock.
Wow.
Yes.
That's when I had a brace on myleg.
Two running down my throat.
Me on morphine.
Need us over here?
Need us over here?
Wow.
And it was rough, but by thegrace of God, I stayed in.
I see you two days.
They put me in a private room.
'cause you know, when you get agunshot wound, GWS, when you get
a GWS, you know, they put you asa, uh, as a, uh, what do they
(06:25):
call it?
They don't let nobody know whoyou is.
Phil (06:28):
Yeah, yeah.
George (06:29):
They don't know.
No.
And uh, so when they put me inmy private room, the third day I
was up walking
Phil (06:35):
the third day,
George (06:36):
the third day by the grace of God For real?
Yep.
So is that a wake up call foryou?
No.
That wasn't a wake up call rightthen?
No, no, no.
'cause as soon it took me eightmonths.
Then, you know, my family, my bamy oldest brother think I, I
love him a lot.
He mess around and, you know, hehad a house here, then he had a
(06:56):
house up there in Newton and helet me stay in the house down
here until I got my life backtogether too.
Two years.
She let me stayed in the houserent free two years, two more
years after
Phil (07:05):
that.
Yeah.
George (07:06):
So I thought I was good.
Feel.
Wow.
No drugs, no nothing.
Got my kids, got my grandkidsand everything.
And as soon as I got disabilityI went right back to the place
that I got shot at during drugs.
So
Phil (07:21):
you was Yeah.
Clean
George (07:23):
for two years.
Two years.
But see, the problem with that,I wasn't into my Bible.
Yeah.
I was clean for two years.
Phil (07:30):
But you didn't replace it with something?
I didn't replace it to take mykids.
You didn't renew the Mygrandkid.
I
George (07:35):
didn't renew the mind.
Yeah.
cause I, soon as that money camein, I went right back to the
place that I got shot at.
Wow.
Yeah.
Right back.
Doing the same thing.
Yeah.
But by the grace of God, whatreally broke me downdrugs was my
daughter, my baby.
My baby broke me down, but, andagain, I got tired and sick and
(07:56):
tired.
Yeah.
I had moved over there in theshed.
Phil (07:59):
In the shed
George (08:00):
In a shed on two 80 Bypass.
With just
Phil (08:03):
with someone That was a friend?
No, no.
There was a shed.
George (08:06):
You've been on two 80 bypass.
Yeah.
You know where it is.
Okay.
You know where Mr.
Chase cashier used to be?
You know, BA Automotive?
Yeah.
You know, time you go past that,that's the place.
Say Mr.
Chase, cashier used to be a shedright behind there.
That's where I lived.
Wow.
Yes.
I was living back there andthen, starting to get clean.
'cause my daughter had broke medown.
Fear.
She broke me down.
(08:26):
She said, I ain't never didnothing in a day in her life.
Oh.
How, how old was she?
Oh, my daughter.
My daughter's grown.
That just happened, uh, lastyear.
So she, before I started gettingclean, she called you out and
she upset.
That hurts.
I said, Lord, that's it.
That's.
And I quit My my, my clean timestarted the ninth, the 17th, 24.
(08:46):
Ain't looked back since I'm
Phil (08:48):
for real.
George (08:48):
9
Phil (08:49):
17 24.
Yeah.
Yeah.
After your daughter said, youain't never done nothing for me
in your life.
Just got a year that woke youup.
George (08:55):
Yeah.
Just got a year clean, man.
Praise the Lord.
Phil (08:57):
Yes.
George (08:58):
Praise the Lord.
Yes.
You're clean.
I ain't looked back at it yet.
Wow.
Don't have no desire.
But now I can renew the mindbecause what I'm dealing with
the Bible.
But look, skip just a littlebit.
Pastor Eric.
Minister Tony.
Yeah.
And pastor with Safe HouseMinistries.
Yeah.
Yes.
They minister a lot to mebecause when I was coming
through on my clean time, it wasrough because I didn't know
(09:21):
that.
I didn't know nothing about allthem demons, you know them
spirits.
Because like after I had stoppeddoing the drugs for two years.
Was telling me about how, theone comes that aggravate you.
Yeah, that's that guy.
The one where you get aggravateda lot.
Man, God, I was aggravated alot, man.
Somebody walk up to me, Ialready snapped.
Yeah.
(09:42):
Even though I was on, I alreadysnap.
We was gone.
Wow.
And I was waiting.
Wow.
But that's, man, you know, itwas rough.
But now life is great.
Life is great for you, I'mtelling you.
Phil (09:54):
So what was that process of, of going from there?
Uhhuh?
I know getting clean was a partof it, but Yeah.
What turned around in your heartand your mind, and what did you
start doing that was differentso that you wouldn't go back to
that?
George (10:07):
When I started getting clean before, I was, you know, I
was doing volunteer work at theSafe house.
Phil (10:13):
Okay.
Yes.
George (10:13):
I was riding a bicycle.
I didn't, I wanted a job.
I told'em I was coming in thename of the Lord.
And Pastor Eric gave me, I hadgot into it down there, the safe
harbor.
He punished me when I wasgetting into it.
I, that's what I tell the fellasout there, the freedom I get
punished.
Pastor Paul and pastor, uh, Mr.
Tony.
They were taught, but pastor, ohGod.
Pastor Eric, you, oh, look, youpull that knife on that guy.
(10:34):
I'm gonna give you three months.
That's what he gave me.
Phil (10:36):
Kicked you out for three months.
Yeah.
Kicked
George (10:38):
me out for three months.
But I, I went back and talked tohim.
He said, well, you know, I gaveyou three months.
I said, yeah.
I said, well, you got anything Ican read?
And he gave me a devotion bookand it sit right in my room
right now.
Yeah.
Pastor in the meantime, youknow, I was mainly in the
kitchen washing dishes, so I hada lot of time with Pastor Paul
and Minister Tony, and they wastelling me what was going on
(11:00):
with me.
They would always tell me whatto read and stuff like that.
Phil (11:03):
Like where in the Bible to read and how it,
George (11:05):
yeah.
Yeah, man.
And it started growing fromthere.
You know, I, I get him all thepraise, because like I said, if
it wasn't for Safe House wasministry.
I know.
I been still out there in thestreets.
Wow.
Phil (11:16):
Yeah.
So what, growing up at somepoint Yeah.
Had you trusted Jesus as yoursavior along the way?
George (11:22):
Well, I seen my mother there, did that.
I, I got baptized, uh, November,November the 14th, 1995 on a
Saturday evening at seveno'clock at Beth, at Bethlehem
Crossroad Baptist Church downthere in Fort Beach, Alabama.
Phil (11:35):
Wow.
So you had asked Jesus to comeinto your heart and save you.
Yes.
But you never really developed arelationship with him by getting
the word exactly.
And that's what the differencewas.
Yes.
Now, with that relationship atwith Safe House and Pastor Eric.
And Pastor Paul and Tony, yeah.
They began to encouraging youbegan to read your Bible Yes.
To grow.
Mm-hmm.
(11:55):
To have you had a devotionalbook and Yes.
And you, that's when you startedrenewing your mind.
George (11:59):
Oh yes.
And man, what?
It was nice because thingsstarted happening and every time
I talked to Pastor Eric, he say,oh yeah, that's the Holy Spirit
talk to you.
I'm like, what?
That's what I used.
What is he talking about?
The holy Yeah.
That's the Holy Spirit talkingto you.
And I never forget, man.
You know, I kept on, kept onworking down there and
(12:20):
everything started to make itsense.
Where he started blessed me atfirst.
That was a young lady by JulianaWells.
She's an artist here.
Well known artist.
Yeah.
Yes.
Wow.
She painted me.
Yes.
And it played second.
So it went up there to the NewYork audits association.
It hung in they museum as matterof fact, I think it's still up
there.
(12:40):
Wow.
Yeah.
That was a blessing then Yeah.
And then, you know, pastor Ericsaid, you know, my sister Lord
have mercy.
My sister you know how they dothat.
Like, I was receiving my SSI,and you live in somebody house
and they you say, well, he's notpaying rent, and they would pay
her outta your check.
That was going on for a whileand I didn't even know.
(13:02):
Where were you living at?
I went back to my sister house.
I would go by there.
She had gonna kick me out.
So what happened?
She was still receiving the,
Phil (13:10):
so you were getting disability, but Yeah, they were
taking some out automatically togive to her for rent, food, and
shelter.
Because you didn't even know.
I,
George (13:16):
I didn't even know, man.
I was wondering what was goingon there for about three years.
Until I went up one day to tryto get my social security card.
And so I told the lady, I said,Hey, I wanna put in a change
address.
She say, what?
I said, yeah, while I'm here.
She said, okay.
She said, where you stay at now?
I said, I stay in the shed, butI'm, I need you to, I I need,
I'm gonna put, I'm gonna givethe safe house, uh, address.
(13:37):
That's why I need to go.
They stay.
What?
So you must tell me you've beenaway from here six months?
I said, yeah.
I said, wow.
All right.
Come back tomorrow.
Came back tomorrow.
So the lady printed up, I said,Hey ma'am, can you tell me what
that man meant by they gonnagimme back pay for six months?
She said, yeah, whoever wasgetting that money on you outta
your check at that address, theygonna be getting it no more.
(13:59):
You'll be getting your fullcheck.
I said, wow.
That's what I said.
That's what I said, Phil.
I said, wow.
So look, I jumped on my bicyclefrom out there and rode it all
the way back down to the statehouse.
You're talking about the shed ontwo 80?
No, no.
I was out at the social securityoffice.
Oh, you were?
When they told me this.
I had rode my bicycle out there.
I can ride a bicycle.
Phil (14:18):
So when, so but before that, you were living in the
shed for that six months?
Yeah.
How'd you get back and forth tothe safe house?
Riding my bicycle
George (14:25):
every morning.
Wow.
Wow.
I come, I get up.
Wouldn't be late.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I get up.
Wouldn't be late.
Wow.
Ride the bicycle back and forth,huh?
Okay.
I got so used to it.
I wouldn't get all, when Istarted riding.
I won't stop till I get home.
Wow.
Yeah.
I can ride pretty good best, so,yeah.
Yeah.
Um, I got, I rode out to thesocial good office, so the lady
(14:47):
told me that, I said, she said,you'll be getting back paid by
what,$1,200?
I say, what I got on thatbicycle?
I rode back down to that safe.
I, here we go.
Whenever I, when there wasthings like that happen, I
talked to Pastor Eric.
I said, pastor Eric, he said,what?
I said, man, D man, I came tofind out my sister ain't getting
that money for three years.
(15:07):
He said, I said, but I ain't, Isaid, I told them folk, I ain't
lived in the house for about sixmonths.
And, uh, they gonna gimme back.
Say, he said, that's the HolySpirit, don't you go back on.
I said, what?
He said, well, come here and,and man, it was a blessing.
He said, come here.
I said, what?
He said, I got some more goodnews.
I said, what is that?
We gonna hire you.
(15:28):
I said, what?
He said, yeah, come here.
Fill out the application.
I said, oh man, I said this,this can't be happening.
He said, yeah, it is.
That's the way the Holy Spiritworks.
That's the way the God blessyou.
Evidently you've been doing somegood.
So I feel like the paper.
And guess what he said?
I got some more Good to you.
He said, Sean gonna take youafter you get out here and move
you outta that shed out here tothe Freedom House.
(15:49):
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah,
Phil (15:50):
yeah.
So you got your full amountcoming back from Social
Security.
Yes.
You got a job with Safe House.
Yes.
And now you got a place to live.
You're gonna be in the men'sshelter, A Freedom house.
George (16:01):
Oh man.
He said, as long as you work forthis, uh, it's a triple crown.
Yeah.
It was you getting blessed allover the place.
One day.
One day.
But it didn't stop there.
Didn't stop there.
No.
The blessing didn't stop.
So look what I think God did forme is that put me in a place
now.
Where I can look back.
'cause he said in Escalade youcan always look back as ancient
(16:21):
and strengthen yourself from it.
That's what the father said inEscalade.
So I'm looking back at thepeople that's coming through.
There was just, it's a lot of'emjust like me,
Phil (16:31):
the people that were coming through the program at
Safe House and the FreedomHouse.
I know.
Yes.
George (16:34):
The both, he put me in a place where I can look back and
strengthen.
You know?
It don't even bother me.
I, I love talking to'em.
Phil (16:42):
Yeah.
George (16:42):
You know, a lot of people respect me for that
because I'm able to sit down andtalk to'em one-on-one
conversation.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I never know, you know whatit was like, I know what it was
like.
You used to be in that place.
I used to be worser.
Yeah.
Which is a good thing.
Wow.
By the grace of God.
Phil (16:55):
I bet you're able to encourage a lot of them.
Yes, I
George (16:57):
am.
Phil (16:58):
I am.
That's good.
A lot of folks
George (16:59):
got a lot of jobs doing well.
Some, like I said, we can'tchange all of'em, but if we can
just touch one.
Yeah.
It would be good.
Phil (17:08):
And that's where, and that's, that's where you are
still at Freedom House?
Yes.
And just trying to be anencouragement Yes.
Working and helping folks.
George (17:15):
Oh, yes.
Which is a good thing.
Phil (17:17):
Yeah.
George (17:17):
Yep.
Lot of, a lot of'em.
A lot of'em, A lot of'em respectme a lot.
Yeah.
'cause I'm always talking, likeI tell'em, I don't, I'm not here
to force the Bible on you.
I'm just going to hear, tell youabout what happened to me.
Yeah.
Yes.
And you know, it's gonna changeda lot of man.
Phil (17:33):
Wow.
Yeah.
How's your relationship withyour kids now?
Oh
George (17:37):
man.
My son, he just got married.
He went to Korea, uh, SouthKorea.
And got married.
Yeah.
He just got back.
Yes.
Phil (17:42):
Wow.
So he's met a, he marriedsomeone from South Korea.
Yeah.
My
George (17:46):
baby daughter.
Oh man.
The relationship went grown.
I'm back with my grandkids.
We spent a lot of time, me andthe girls, a lot of people ask
me, well, you in a relationship?
I say, yeah, I got two girls.
What?
Yeah.
My daughter and mygranddaughter, they always
there.
They're always there.
I'm serious.
They always, I'm somebody you byevery weekend they come in.
Phil (18:05):
Is this the daughter that called you out?
Yes.
The same
George (18:08):
one Lord can bring her back.
Wow.
And that relationship is better.
She want me to move in with her?
I told her, nah, not right now.
I'm still going through myaddiction.
See, I'm early stage.
Just one year.
Yeah.
You know, give us time.
Let us meet on this mutualground right here.
Yeah.
Until we just continue tostrengthen this.
That's Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Phil (18:26):
That's good.
Oh,
George (18:27):
yes it is.
Phil.
I'm talking about, it's been arough journey.
Phil (18:30):
Oh
George (18:30):
yes.
Yes.
Phil (18:32):
Wow.
It sounds like it's been a roughjourney.
George (18:34):
It is.
Phil.
Praise 30 so years, Lord.
Praise the Lord For 20 yearround.
God is good.
God is good.
Phil (18:38):
Yeah.
George (18:39):
One year clean.
I join the group.
Easy.
Does it go to it every Friday?
Narcotic Anonymous.
Phil (18:44):
Yeah.
George (18:45):
Thanks to Pastor Eric.
He wanted me to go twice.
It's kind of hard way my work,but I do do it once.
It's a volunteer thing.
Yeah.
And so I joined the group oneyear clean, which is good.
It is great.
Yeah.
Still working on me.
Yeah.
Yes.
Good.
He's still working on me, thefather.
Phil (18:59):
Yeah.
Amen.
He's working on all of us.
I, I know.
We don't, we really would all belost without him.
I already know.
I mean, I know.
Yeah, I know.
George (19:08):
But it took all of that for me to get here.
But now I know that at, at, whenI was coming through, he was
there all the time when I wasdoing bad and good.
I just didn't realize it.
But I don't look back and say,well, I wish I coulda did this.
That's in the past.
Yeah.
You know, I have to take it,like I say, one day at a time.
(19:28):
Yeah.
Phil (19:29):
Wow.
George (19:29):
One day at a time.
Phil (19:30):
Do you ever, uh, do you ever have any situations where
it was just.
Oh, just crazy.
And like you might like demonicor anything like that with the
drugs or like was,
George (19:41):
yes.
I had one experience.
Oh man, Phil, I was, I was upunder the two 80 bypass bridge.
You know the one you go acrossto Walmart?
Yeah.
I was right up under there bythe chip factory.
I was sitting there, thatspirit, Lord have mercy.
That spirit had me so scared.
I walked from right there allthe way to Olac on the railroad
track.
Yeah.
(20:02):
I can walk to Olac about four.
Phil (20:03):
So you
George (20:03):
saw something?
Yeah.
Yeah.
All the way.
I tell'em all the time.
It gone been three times since Iwalked from there.
All the way to OB Laika.
Phil (20:10):
Yeah.
George (20:11):
And get up there and realize it daylight and gotta
turn around and walk all the wayback on that railroad track.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yes.
Phil (20:19):
So you, because you were so scared.
You just got a room.
I was so
George (20:21):
scared.
Phil.
Phil (20:22):
That was when you was on the meth?
George (20:23):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right up under that bridge.
Phil (20:26):
Wow.
Yeah.
Someone shared on a podcast, uh,yes.
That meth even more than thanother drugs.
It's like a demonic.
It is just, uh, it is just a,it's very messed up.
Horrible.
Yeah, it's very messed up.
George (20:40):
I'm serious, man.
Serious.
Wow.
It had me, man.
I didn't want to believe I didthat.
I looked back, I said threetimes to ob like him.
I know some people saying oblikeer, but to walk up there
scared on the railroad track atnight.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Phil (20:55):
That must've been scary.
Oh,
George (20:57):
it was scary.
But trust me, I had, I wasscared.
Wow.
Phil (21:01):
That was,
George (21:01):
that, that was the
Phil (21:01):
fear.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Any other, uh, crazy story ortwo that you wanna share?
Mm, some something that juststands out, like, man.
Uh, and maybe a, a warning storythat's like, Hey, this is what
happened.
I can tell you
George (21:16):
this, that male, please don't mess with it.
Because I almost had a scarymoment.
Also there was one more.
I was over there doing grovewith these people that I thought
I could trust and there was thisother person over there sitting
back and when I turned my back,he had put some fentanyl in it.
And by that time that guy seenit.
He told me, George, don't touchthat.
(21:37):
Yeah.
Phil (21:38):
Wow.
Yes.
George (21:38):
Like
Phil (21:39):
trying to kill you, I
George (21:40):
guess.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I can, I can seen a lot of swaplike that where Pope just pass
out.
Yeah.
Phil (21:46):
cause someone, someone sneaks and puts fentanyl.
Mm-hmm.
Why
George (21:48):
did
Phil (21:49):
they do that?
Or why would someone do that?
No.
Feel just evil.
The enemy.
The, the demons and the, the
George (21:54):
money.
Yeah.
I'm serious.
Seen a lot of crazy stuff, man.
I do not wish to show up on tv,but yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
I've been through it a lot, man.
But I thank God for where I'm atnow.
Phil (22:08):
Amen.
Serious.
Amen.
George, take a second and sharesome of the key lessons that you
really stand out to you fromwhat you've learned along the
way and the key lessons thatmaybe could be a help for others
to know.
George (22:24):
Me first, I'm gonna tell you, don't do drugs.
Try not to let your friendsencourage you to do anything.
And I can say that's and that Itell everybody, if you don't
give your life to God, causehe's gonna be there, that's your
only family you got.
If you thank them folks outthere in them streets, your
family, no, you dead wrong.
(22:44):
That's your enemy.
I'm serious because if you got,somebody can come up and say,
Hey, that's wrong.
That's the guy you need totrust.
But if you got those that'sgonna let you do it, then they
should not your friends.
Period.
Wow.
Yeah, I know that a lot.
Yeah.
Yes.
I ain't even got no friends.
I got my heavily family.
But far as now, safe House,freedom House, those are the
(23:04):
people that I can really trust'cause they've been there.
Yeah.
You see?
Yeah.
But outside of that, I'm a closenetwork with my family now.
'cause see, I got everything Ineed back.
My brothers, my sisters, mykids, my grandkids.
I got that back where I had lostit and it took me a while to get
it back.
cause I tell them, I said, look,if you are here at the Freedom
(23:26):
House, guess what?
Here's where you can renew themind, restore the body, and
rejoice back to the Lord.
I said, but he gonna bring allthat back to you.
I said, it took me 30 years toget all this back.
It may not take you longer.
I'm telling you about my trialsand tribulation, how long it
took me.
But you can't get that back.
See, a lot of'em don't havefamilies.
(23:47):
You see they have them, but theysay they don't have'em.
Phil (23:50):
Yeah.
George (23:51):
I told'em if you trust in the love and believe in him,
'cause they always now my mainthing is proverb three five,
trust in God, believe in him andnot your own understanding.
'cause your own understandingwill get you in a lot of
trouble.
Phil (24:02):
You're right about that.
George (24:04):
Yes.
Your own understanding will.
Yeah.
Yes.
And like I said, I always giveit to him no matter what it is.
And I always like to stay happy.
I'm trying to do me feel, itbeen a long time since I feel
Phil (24:16):
good, but when you're walking close with the Lord,
there is a joy that you have inthat
George (24:20):
it's, it is.
Now I'm able to smile.
I'm able to have fun.
I'm able to keep money in mypocket.
That's awesome.
I'm able to spend time with mykids.
What more can I ask for?
Yeah.
Yes.
Relationship I, and that's onthe back burner.
Yeah.
Yes.
'cause right now I'm still youngand doing me see, yeah.
I may joke, I may talk, butrelationship, no, I'm not
interested in that yet becauseI'm still trying to get close to
(24:42):
the Lord.
I'm still learning.
I'm still growing.
Phil (24:45):
That's a powerful lesson.
Yes.
That I think a lot of peoplewould do well to remember.
Yeah.
So many people try to get intoand pursue relationships with
others.
Yeah, exactly.
George (24:55):
And
Phil (24:55):
they're not
George (24:56):
ready.
No, I'm
Phil (24:56):
not ready.
No, I know.
You gotta get yourself right.
Thank
George (24:59):
you.
Phil (24:59):
First.
First.
Yes.
Yeah.
George (25:01):
Because in our class, narcotic nine will tell you if
you jump into a relationshipthat's real early in your
addiction, you can easily fallback into, you have to watch it.
So you know, I'm learning how todo me first to build me
stronger.
I'm just an I year clean.
So.
I'm not ready for none of that.
But I got my family back.
(25:22):
He gave me that
Phil (25:23):
praise the Lord.
Yes.
George (25:23):
He gave me that back, which I thank him a lot.
Praise him for
Phil (25:27):
Yes.
Wow.
Yes.
That's good.
So don't, don't take the firststep.
No, don't take that first step.
You never end up in the, in thetrain wreck in the darkness, in
the, none of that on thestreets.
If you don't take the firststep.
Yeah.
If you don't pick up, you won'tuse.
If only, if only we could getthat message into the minds of
people that are on the verge,you know?
(25:49):
Yes.
cause we don't, we don't thinkabout it.
I know.
Like we just, it's carefreeliving lives.
Yes.
You know?
Yeah.
And then some, someone says, Heycome try this out with us.
That's what it was with me.
And then all of sudden, suddenwe had no idea of where it would
lead to.
Yes.
Where it would lead to that dogside.
Yeah.
The devil is, yeah.
Oh, he is a hateful enemy.
(26:09):
Yes.
Tricks you and brings you in anddeceives you.
And then he puts his claws inyou and he drags you down.
George (26:16):
Yes.
And also the father said, youcan get so far in darkness.
You can't come back to thelight.
Darkness.
We will consume your soul.
I have seen a lot of that.
Yes.
Darkness consumed their soul.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
Some of my peoples that I knowdead, why overdose?
Yeah.
Fentanyl shooting up.
Yeah.
Gone.
(26:37):
Yeah.
Wow.
Some of them real clean.
Doing good.
I look up to them.
They, I look up to my oldestbrother, sister, and them.
They're doing good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They're really Christian.
I got a baby brother who's aminister that I can talk to too.
Yes.
Phil (26:50):
That's awesome.
George (26:51):
Yes.
And when I need'em, they'rethere.
Phil (26:53):
Praise the Lord.
Yes.
Anything else you wanna share?
George (26:57):
Yeah.
I want to thank Pastor Paul,pastor Eric, chaplain Neil, miss
Jamie Lee Ton.
For giving me the opportunity,gimme this job.
Yes.
I really enjoy and I wanna tryto encourage many more of them
guys there too.
That's good.
Because they need it serious.
Yeah.
So I can look back at them andsee me in there.
Yeah.
(27:17):
Yeah.
I was once like that too.
They praise the Lord.
Somebody gave me a chance.
Yes.
Praise the Lord.
Yes.
Phil (27:23):
Yeah.
And there's so many more everyday Yes.
That are coming to the safehouse.
I know.
I see.
That are looking for thatchance.
And I see it all the time.
I
George (27:31):
feel, well we gonna fill up and we don't have the
bedroom.
And they be telling me, man, Ican been out here three, four
months.
I ain't got nowhere to go.
Wow.
You know, that night turning aperson away.
Wow.
Saying, I don't have idea.
That need is so
Phil (27:43):
great.
Yes.
There's so many people.
Yes.
I think a lot of us don'trealize that I know it like
that, that it's just as manypeople as Yes.
We're able to house and help andget into the program.
Yes.
And.
But there's just, they
George (27:58):
instead coming so many Oh man.
They instead coming and youknow, some of'em I have seen cry
because they say they havenowhere to go.
Phil (28:06):
So yeah.
We, we still got the women'sshelter.
The men's shelter.
The family shelter.
Yes.
And those are staying full?
Yes.
And the, the Substance AbuseTreatment program?
Yes.
All of it.
Yeah.
Yes.
It's still going strong, butthere's Yes.
There's just so many.
Yes.
So many still are coming.
Yeah.
I appreciate you being here,George.
Yes, sir.
Appreciate you sharing yourstory.
(28:27):
No problem.
It is a blessing and anencouragement to hear a story
like yours.
Yes.
Of just how God brought you outof that
George (28:32):
and to my out of
Phil (28:34):
it.
Um, and I hope Thank you.
I hope that it's anencouragement to, to all the
people that partner with SafeHouse Yes.
That come and volunteer, thatgive financially to help the
program.
Yes.
Because.
What that partnership does ishelp, yeah.
Allows us to help more folksYes.
That are coming out of thatdarkness, helping them to turn
(28:54):
the things around Yes.
And exactly.
To walk in the light.
Yes.
And then they go on to help justlike you're doing.
Yes.
Helping other people.
Helping other people becausethere's so many more that need
help.
True.
Yeah.
Yes, man.
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord God is
George (29:06):
good all the time.
Yeah.
Phil (29:08):
Thank you for being here, George.
Yes sir.
Phil, thank you to all of youwho are listening who do partner
with Safe House, who come andvolunteer, or who give
financially to help thisministry.
The need is great and it justcontinues to grow, but it's
because of partnerships ofothers that are working with us
that we're able to help so many.
(29:28):
George, you mind if I close thisin a word of prayer?
Yes.
Father, I love you and I thankyou for George.
Thank you for what you've donein his life, Lord.
Thank you for restoring him tohis family.
I just, what a blessing it isthat he gets to spend time with
his kids and, and his grandkids.
Lord, thank you for that.
Help him to, to stay faithful toyou.
(29:51):
Help him to be a godly and agood example for his kids and
his grandkids, Lord.
Uh, help him to be able to besuch an encouragement to so many
men that are there at FreedomHouse.
Use George to help maybe thosewho might be considering just
giving up.
Use him to encourage them tostay the course.
(30:11):
And I just pray you would blessGeorge's future in so many ways
and use him to do your will andin the lives of many people.
To show your mercy and yourgrace, I pray.
Amen.
06-21-23 SAFEHOUSE-CH2 (30:24):
We look forward to being with you again
next week as we share anothertestimony about the power and
the goodness of God to changelives through Safe House
Ministries.
if you are someone listening tothis podcast that loves to hear
these stories of the greatthings that God is doing in
changing people's lives for thebetter, and if you would like to
be a part of that work, pleasereach out to us You can reach us
(30:47):
at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus,Georgia, 31,904.
You can call us at seven oh sixthree two two.
3 7, 7 3, or you can email us atinfo@safehouse-ministries.com.
Microphone (Samson Q2U Mi (31:01):
Thank you so much for being with us
this week for the renew restoreand rejoice podcast of safe
house ministries, we pray thatGod will bless you this week.
And we look forward to havingyou back with us again next week
for a new episode.
HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the
(00:03):
Safe House Ministries podcast,where we share stories of the
power of God to change livesthrough Safe House Ministries.
Safe House Ministries is basedout of Columbus, Georgia, and we
are a ministry that exists tolove and serve people who have
been affected by addiction,homelessness, and incarceration.
I'm your host, Phil Shuler, theDirector of Development for Safe
House Ministries here inColumbus, Georgia.
(00:24):
Safe House serves over 1, 100people each month as they
transition back into ourcommunity.
Safe House provides an abundanceof services including 213 beds
for homeless individuals andfamilies, case management for
obtaining job skills and longterm employment.
Over 300 hot meals every day,free clothing, and so much more.
One of the most incredibleservices that Safe House
(00:45):
provides is our free 9 12 monthintensive outpatient substance
abuse program, which is statelicensed, CARF accredited, and
has no wait list.
Almost 100 percent ofindividuals staying in our
shelters who follow our threephase program become fully
employed within a few months.
And 68 percent of individualswho stay at least one night with
us End up finding work andmoving into their own home.
(01:07):
Thank you for being with ustoday and listening to our
podcast.
We hope you enjoy this week'sepisode.
George (01:13):
So I get off from work.
Two weeks later I'm thinking,it's gone.
Two weeks later, guess what?
Him and his friend came back.
I had just walked in the house,got in there about nine o'clock,
sitting around.
They getting high, so why not?
Mess around.
I see the truck.
I said, wow.
Y'all got a good truck out here.
So we sat there.
(01:34):
Next thing you know I heard twodoors.
Boom, boom.
So I'm in the bathroom.
Huh?
They came in, they said, whereJap?
Ain't nobody say nothing.
They said, I know.
Y'all heard me.
What Jap?
I said, shoot, I'm in thebathroom.
Phil (01:45):
They called you Jap?
George (01:46):
Jack.
Phil (01:47):
Jack,
George (01:47):
yeah.
Phil (01:48):
Jack.
J Oh, JAP.
That's your nickname?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Street name.
George (01:53):
They came in the bathroom, man, and he opened the
door and I seen the gun.
Yeah, I seen the gun, so Ididn't run.
He said, now when you had that,now what?
You supposed to deal with it?
I said, I told you, thank Godthat a god.
He pointed at my leg and itsnapped.
Yeah, it was on safety.
So he passed it back to the guy.
He said, take it off safety.
So I'm standing there.
(02:13):
I'm standing there.
Phil (02:14):
So he You're standing in the bathroom?
Yeah.
I ain't trying to move.
He tries to shoot you, but itwas on safety.
George (02:18):
Yeah.
So he turned around and got thegun.
He said, now what you did whenyou had that knife?
I said, thank God that's aguard.
He shot me Pow
Phil (02:24):
right here.
George (02:25):
Yeah.
Phil (02:25):
And you just, you didn't try to
George (02:27):
no.
When he shot me, I grabbed himright here, pushed him straight
back out that door, throw himdown that arm and grabbed that
gun.
By that time I looked up, theguy had that nine pointed right
here.
Oh yeah.
And I told him, I said, Hey, Idon't think you better do that.
I said, thank God, that's aguard.
Got up, limped back, went behindthe door.
The door was up about like that.
The light was shining.
Phil (02:47):
So the guy was pointing a gun at your
George (02:49):
chest?
He didn't shoot.
He didn't shoot me.
Like he let me got up, walkedbehind that door and the light
was shining like this.
So the door had a crack up onit, but I had locked it.
They came up to the door andtried to open it.
They couldn't open it.
They looked up under therebecause of the crack like that
and shot scraped between thedoor.
That's when they hit me with thenine in the side.
Phil (03:10):
Now what door was it?
Was it the bathroom door or theNo, it was
George (03:13):
the bathroom door.
Phil (03:13):
It was the So you went back into the bathroom?
No, no.
George (03:16):
It was the bedroom door.
The
Phil (03:17):
bedroom.
So you got shot in the I
George (03:18):
got shot in the bathroom, then came out the
hallway.
Yeah.
Phil (03:21):
And then t with
George (03:22):
him, with the, with the 22 and then went behind the
bedroom though and that's whenthey shot through the door and
hit me in the side.
Wow.
Yeah.
Phil (03:30):
Yep.
What happened then?
George (03:31):
Uh, man, they took off.
Then I got up, man, I was so, Iwas so in a rage, man.
My adrenaline was pumping.
I walked to the door, askedKevin, I said, Hey, did you call
them folks?
I ain't gonna say what I toldthem.
He said, yeah, sit down, don'tyou hear I'm coming.
And man, I got to the hospital.
I lost so much blood.
Phil (03:49):
The ambulance, they called someone called 9 1 1.
Yeah.
Yeah.
George (03:51):
My partner, the cabin, the same guy that stopped me
from Must the same guy calledthe ambulance.
Lost so much blood took methere.
I had two operation, majoroperation.
First they sliced me from hereto there to relieve the pressure
because when the 22 hit me, ithit the fibia.
It came out the fib, and it hitthe Pope tear.
When it hit the Pope tear, itcame out and closed.
(04:12):
So that mean I bled to theinside.
Pope tears the main artery.
Yeah.
It bled to the inside and themore it started a lot of
swelling.
They had to hurry up and get methere because it was killing a
lot of nerves.
I have a lot of nerves, a lot ofnerve damage in this right leg
from here, all the way downhere.
From right here, from my ankleto my two toes, it's numb.
Wow.
(04:32):
Yes.
And right here, by the way, theyshot me since I was bent over.
The nine came in.
In your stomach or in yourwaist?
In the, in the side.
In the side.
I was bent over.
So when it hit me by the impactfrom the door, slowed it down.
So when it hit, I was able tosee when it hit and it came out
and vibrated, but it never wentout.
(04:52):
Oh, no.
They had to do immediatelysurgery and take off four inches
of my intestine to try to findthe bullet.
No, the bullet, they couldn'tfind the bullet'cause they
thought it had ed it out becauseof the way my, this right here
had split.
Phil (05:04):
Yeah.
George (05:04):
No, the bullet landed down here.
Wow.
Yeah.
The 20, the nine millimeterlanded down by, on the left side
of my inusal.
Wow.
Yeah,
Phil (05:13):
man.
Yes.
Did they said they have to goback again to try to find the
bullet later then, since theydidn't.
Well,
George (05:18):
That was in the op the two main, uh, operation.
What they did, they took offfour inch of my intestines.
Sewed that back up.
They split this, huh?
Redid my pope tear, but theydidn't do the the fibia, that's
the small bone to the sidebecause it was cracked that
automatic heal.
Wow.
Yeah.
I was saying, I see you by thegrace of God.
(05:38):
You know, when they shot me,only thing I can tell the Lord
was, Hey, comfort me.
I'm not ready to go comfort me.
Yes.
So when I got there, they say,when you about to die, that's
what I hear.
That you got cold.
That you get real cold.
I remember that because when Itold that nurse, Hey, it's so
cold up in here.
I don't remember nothing elsetill that Tuesday morning about
(06:01):
12 o'clock.
Wow.
Yes.
That's when I had a brace on myleg.
Two running down my throat.
Me on morphine.
Need us over here?
Need us over here?
Wow.
And it was rough, but by thegrace of God, I stayed in.
I see you two days.
They put me in a private room.
'cause you know, when you get agunshot wound, GWS, when you get
a GWS, you know, they put you asa, uh, as a, uh, what do they
(06:25):
call it?
They don't let nobody know whoyou is.
Phil (06:28):
Yeah, yeah.
George (06:29):
They don't know.
No.
And uh, so when they put me inmy private room, the third day I
was up walking
Phil (06:35):
the third day,
George (06:36):
the third day by the grace of God For real?
Yep.
So is that a wake up call foryou?
No.
That wasn't a wake up call rightthen?
No, no, no.
'cause as soon it took me eightmonths.
Then, you know, my family, my bamy oldest brother think I, I
love him a lot.
He mess around and, you know, hehad a house here, then he had a
(06:56):
house up there in Newton and helet me stay in the house down
here until I got my life backtogether too.
Two years.
She let me stayed in the houserent free two years, two more
years after
Phil (07:05):
that.
Yeah.
George (07:06):
So I thought I was good.
Feel.
Wow.
No drugs, no nothing.
Got my kids, got my grandkidsand everything.
And as soon as I got disabilityI went right back to the place
that I got shot at during drugs.
So
Phil (07:21):
you was Yeah.
Clean
George (07:23):
for two years.
Two years.
But see, the problem with that,I wasn't into my Bible.
Yeah.
I was clean for two years.
Phil (07:30):
But you didn't replace it with something?
I didn't replace it to take mykids.
You didn't renew the Mygrandkid.
I
George (07:35):
didn't renew the mind.
Yeah.
cause I, soon as that money camein, I went right back to the
place that I got shot at.
Wow.
Yeah.
Right back.
Doing the same thing.
Yeah.
But by the grace of God, whatreally broke me downdrugs was my
daughter, my baby.
My baby broke me down, but, andagain, I got tired and sick and
(07:56):
tired.
Yeah.
I had moved over there in theshed.
Phil (07:59):
In the shed
George (08:00):
In a shed on two 80 Bypass.
With just
Phil (08:03):
with someone That was a friend?
No, no.
There was a shed.
George (08:06):
You've been on two 80 bypass.
Yeah.
You know where it is.
Okay.
You know where Mr.
Chase cashier used to be?
You know, BA Automotive?
Yeah.
You know, time you go past that,that's the place.
Say Mr.
Chase, cashier used to be a shedright behind there.
That's where I lived.
Wow.
Yes.
I was living back there andthen, starting to get clean.
'cause my daughter had broke medown.
Fear.
She broke me down.
(08:26):
She said, I ain't never didnothing in a day in her life.
Oh.
How, how old was she?
Oh, my daughter.
My daughter's grown.
That just happened, uh, lastyear.
So she, before I started gettingclean, she called you out and
she upset.
That hurts.
I said, Lord, that's it.
That's.
And I quit My my, my clean timestarted the ninth, the 17th, 24.
(08:46):
Ain't looked back since I'm
Phil (08:48):
for real.
George (08:48):
9
Phil (08:49):
17 24.
Yeah.
Yeah.
After your daughter said, youain't never done nothing for me
in your life.
Just got a year that woke youup.
George (08:55):
Yeah.
Just got a year clean, man.
Praise the Lord.
Phil (08:57):
Yes.
George (08:58):
Praise the Lord.
Yes.
You're clean.
I ain't looked back at it yet.
Wow.
Don't have no desire.
But now I can renew the mindbecause what I'm dealing with
the Bible.
But look, skip just a littlebit.
Pastor Eric.
Minister Tony.
Yeah.
And pastor with Safe HouseMinistries.
Yeah.
Yes.
They minister a lot to mebecause when I was coming
through on my clean time, it wasrough because I didn't know
(09:21):
that.
I didn't know nothing about allthem demons, you know them
spirits.
Because like after I had stoppeddoing the drugs for two years.
Was telling me about how, theone comes that aggravate you.
Yeah, that's that guy.
The one where you get aggravateda lot.
Man, God, I was aggravated alot, man.
Somebody walk up to me, Ialready snapped.
Yeah.
(09:42):
Even though I was on, I alreadysnap.
We was gone.
Wow.
And I was waiting.
Wow.
But that's, man, you know, itwas rough.
But now life is great.
Life is great for you, I'mtelling you.
Phil (09:54):
So what was that process of, of going from there?
Uhhuh?
I know getting clean was a partof it, but Yeah.
What turned around in your heartand your mind, and what did you
start doing that was differentso that you wouldn't go back to
that?
George (10:07):
When I started getting clean before, I was, you know, I
was doing volunteer work at theSafe house.
Phil (10:13):
Okay.
Yes.
George (10:13):
I was riding a bicycle.
I didn't, I wanted a job.
I told'em I was coming in thename of the Lord.
And Pastor Eric gave me, I hadgot into it down there, the safe
harbor.
He punished me when I wasgetting into it.
I, that's what I tell the fellasout there, the freedom I get
punished.
Pastor Paul and pastor, uh, Mr.
Tony.
They were taught, but pastor, ohGod.
Pastor Eric, you, oh, look, youpull that knife on that guy.
(10:34):
I'm gonna give you three months.
That's what he gave me.
Phil (10:36):
Kicked you out for three months.
Yeah.
Kicked
George (10:38):
me out for three months.
But I, I went back and talked tohim.
He said, well, you know, I gaveyou three months.
I said, yeah.
I said, well, you got anything Ican read?
And he gave me a devotion bookand it sit right in my room
right now.
Yeah.
Pastor in the meantime, youknow, I was mainly in the
kitchen washing dishes, so I hada lot of time with Pastor Paul
and Minister Tony, and they wastelling me what was going on
(11:00):
with me.
They would always tell me whatto read and stuff like that.
Phil (11:03):
Like where in the Bible to read and how it,
George (11:05):
yeah.
Yeah, man.
And it started growing fromthere.
You know, I, I get him all thepraise, because like I said, if
it wasn't for Safe House wasministry.
I know.
I been still out there in thestreets.
Wow.
Phil (11:16):
Yeah.
So what, growing up at somepoint Yeah.
Had you trusted Jesus as yoursavior along the way?
George (11:22):
Well, I seen my mother there, did that.
I, I got baptized, uh, November,November the 14th, 1995 on a
Saturday evening at seveno'clock at Beth, at Bethlehem
Crossroad Baptist Church downthere in Fort Beach, Alabama.
Phil (11:35):
Wow.
So you had asked Jesus to comeinto your heart and save you.
Yes.
But you never really developed arelationship with him by getting
the word exactly.
And that's what the differencewas.
Yes.
Now, with that relationship atwith Safe House and Pastor Eric.
And Pastor Paul and Tony, yeah.
They began to encouraging youbegan to read your Bible Yes.
To grow.
Mm-hmm.
(11:55):
To have you had a devotionalbook and Yes.
And you, that's when you startedrenewing your mind.
George (11:59):
Oh yes.
And man, what?
It was nice because thingsstarted happening and every time
I talked to Pastor Eric, he say,oh yeah, that's the Holy Spirit
talk to you.
I'm like, what?
That's what I used.
What is he talking about?
The holy Yeah.
That's the Holy Spirit talkingto you.
And I never forget, man.
You know, I kept on, kept onworking down there and
(12:20):
everything started to make itsense.
Where he started blessed me atfirst.
That was a young lady by JulianaWells.
She's an artist here.
Well known artist.
Yeah.
Yes.
Wow.
She painted me.
Yes.
And it played second.
So it went up there to the NewYork audits association.
It hung in they museum as matterof fact, I think it's still up
there.
(12:40):
Wow.
Yeah.
That was a blessing then Yeah.
And then, you know, pastor Ericsaid, you know, my sister Lord
have mercy.
My sister you know how they dothat.
Like, I was receiving my SSI,and you live in somebody house
and they you say, well, he's notpaying rent, and they would pay
her outta your check.
That was going on for a whileand I didn't even know.
(13:02):
Where were you living at?
I went back to my sister house.
I would go by there.
She had gonna kick me out.
So what happened?
She was still receiving the,
Phil (13:10):
so you were getting disability, but Yeah, they were
taking some out automatically togive to her for rent, food, and
shelter.
Because you didn't even know.
I,
George (13:16):
I didn't even know, man.
I was wondering what was goingon there for about three years.
Until I went up one day to tryto get my social security card.
And so I told the lady, I said,Hey, I wanna put in a change
address.
She say, what?
I said, yeah, while I'm here.
She said, okay.
She said, where you stay at now?
I said, I stay in the shed, butI'm, I need you to, I I need,
I'm gonna put, I'm gonna givethe safe house, uh, address.
(13:37):
That's why I need to go.
They stay.
What?
So you must tell me you've beenaway from here six months?
I said, yeah.
I said, wow.
All right.
Come back tomorrow.
Came back tomorrow.
So the lady printed up, I said,Hey ma'am, can you tell me what
that man meant by they gonnagimme back pay for six months?
She said, yeah, whoever wasgetting that money on you outta
your check at that address, theygonna be getting it no more.
(13:59):
You'll be getting your fullcheck.
I said, wow.
That's what I said.
That's what I said, Phil.
I said, wow.
So look, I jumped on my bicyclefrom out there and rode it all
the way back down to the statehouse.
You're talking about the shed ontwo 80?
No, no.
I was out at the social securityoffice.
Oh, you were?
When they told me this.
I had rode my bicycle out there.
I can ride a bicycle.
Phil (14:18):
So when, so but before that, you were living in the
shed for that six months?
Yeah.
How'd you get back and forth tothe safe house?
Riding my bicycle
George (14:25):
every morning.
Wow.
Wow.
I come, I get up.
Wouldn't be late.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I get up.
Wouldn't be late.
Wow.
Ride the bicycle back and forth,huh?
Okay.
I got so used to it.
I wouldn't get all, when Istarted riding.
I won't stop till I get home.
Wow.
Yeah.
I can ride pretty good best, so,yeah.
Yeah.
Um, I got, I rode out to thesocial good office, so the lady
(14:47):
told me that, I said, she said,you'll be getting back paid by
what,$1,200?
I say, what I got on thatbicycle?
I rode back down to that safe.
I, here we go.
Whenever I, when there wasthings like that happen, I
talked to Pastor Eric.
I said, pastor Eric, he said,what?
I said, man, D man, I came tofind out my sister ain't getting
that money for three years.
(15:07):
He said, I said, but I ain't, Isaid, I told them folk, I ain't
lived in the house for about sixmonths.
And, uh, they gonna gimme back.
Say, he said, that's the HolySpirit, don't you go back on.
I said, what?
He said, well, come here and,and man, it was a blessing.
He said, come here.
I said, what?
He said, I got some more goodnews.
I said, what is that?
We gonna hire you.
(15:28):
I said, what?
He said, yeah, come here.
Fill out the application.
I said, oh man, I said this,this can't be happening.
He said, yeah, it is.
That's the way the Holy Spiritworks.
That's the way the God blessyou.
Evidently you've been doing somegood.
So I feel like the paper.
And guess what he said?
I got some more Good to you.
He said, Sean gonna take youafter you get out here and move
you outta that shed out here tothe Freedom House.
(15:49):
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah,
Phil (15:50):
yeah.
So you got your full amountcoming back from Social
Security.
Yes.
You got a job with Safe House.
Yes.
And now you got a place to live.
You're gonna be in the men'sshelter, A Freedom house.
George (16:01):
Oh man.
He said, as long as you work forthis, uh, it's a triple crown.
Yeah.
It was you getting blessed allover the place.
One day.
One day.
But it didn't stop there.
Didn't stop there.
No.
The blessing didn't stop.
So look what I think God did forme is that put me in a place
now.
Where I can look back.
'cause he said in Escalade youcan always look back as ancient
(16:21):
and strengthen yourself from it.
That's what the father said inEscalade.
So I'm looking back at thepeople that's coming through.
There was just, it's a lot of'emjust like me,
Phil (16:31):
the people that were coming through the program at
Safe House and the FreedomHouse.
I know.
Yes.
George (16:34):
The both, he put me in a place where I can look back and
strengthen.
You know?
It don't even bother me.
I, I love talking to'em.
Phil (16:42):
Yeah.
George (16:42):
You know, a lot of people respect me for that
because I'm able to sit down andtalk to'em one-on-one
conversation.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I never know, you know whatit was like, I know what it was
like.
You used to be in that place.
I used to be worser.
Yeah.
Which is a good thing.
Wow.
By the grace of God.
Phil (16:55):
I bet you're able to encourage a lot of them.
Yes, I
George (16:57):
am.
Phil (16:58):
I am.
That's good.
A lot of folks
George (16:59):
got a lot of jobs doing well.
Some, like I said, we can'tchange all of'em, but if we can
just touch one.
Yeah.
It would be good.
Phil (17:08):
And that's where, and that's, that's where you are
still at Freedom House?
Yes.
And just trying to be anencouragement Yes.
Working and helping folks.
George (17:15):
Oh, yes.
Which is a good thing.
Phil (17:17):
Yeah.
George (17:17):
Yep.
Lot of, a lot of'em.
A lot of'em, A lot of'em respectme a lot.
Yeah.
'cause I'm always talking, likeI tell'em, I don't, I'm not here
to force the Bible on you.
I'm just going to hear, tell youabout what happened to me.
Yeah.
Yes.
And you know, it's gonna changeda lot of man.
Phil (17:33):
Wow.
Yeah.
How's your relationship withyour kids now?
Oh
George (17:37):
man.
My son, he just got married.
He went to Korea, uh, SouthKorea.
And got married.
Yeah.
He just got back.
Yes.
Phil (17:42):
Wow.
So he's met a, he marriedsomeone from South Korea.
Yeah.
My
George (17:46):
baby daughter.
Oh man.
The relationship went grown.
I'm back with my grandkids.
We spent a lot of time, me andthe girls, a lot of people ask
me, well, you in a relationship?
I say, yeah, I got two girls.
What?
Yeah.
My daughter and mygranddaughter, they always
there.
They're always there.
I'm serious.
They always, I'm somebody you byevery weekend they come in.
Phil (18:05):
Is this the daughter that called you out?
Yes.
The same
George (18:08):
one Lord can bring her back.
Wow.
And that relationship is better.
She want me to move in with her?
I told her, nah, not right now.
I'm still going through myaddiction.
See, I'm early stage.
Just one year.
Yeah.
You know, give us time.
Let us meet on this mutualground right here.
Yeah.
Until we just continue tostrengthen this.
That's Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Phil (18:26):
That's good.
Oh,
George (18:27):
yes it is.
Phil.
I'm talking about, it's been arough journey.
Phil (18:30):
Oh
George (18:30):
yes.
Yes.
Phil (18:32):
Wow.
It sounds like it's been a roughjourney.
George (18:34):
It is.
Phil.
Praise 30 so years, Lord.
Praise the Lord For 20 yearround.
God is good.
God is good.
Phil (18:38):
Yeah.
George (18:39):
One year clean.
I join the group.
Easy.
Does it go to it every Friday?
Narcotic Anonymous.
Phil (18:44):
Yeah.
George (18:45):
Thanks to Pastor Eric.
He wanted me to go twice.
It's kind of hard way my work,but I do do it once.
It's a volunteer thing.
Yeah.
And so I joined the group oneyear clean, which is good.
It is great.
Yeah.
Still working on me.
Yeah.
Yes.
Good.
He's still working on me, thefather.
Phil (18:59):
Yeah.
Amen.
He's working on all of us.
I, I know.
We don't, we really would all belost without him.
I already know.
I mean, I know.
Yeah, I know.
George (19:08):
But it took all of that for me to get here.
But now I know that at, at, whenI was coming through, he was
there all the time when I wasdoing bad and good.
I just didn't realize it.
But I don't look back and say,well, I wish I coulda did this.
That's in the past.
Yeah.
You know, I have to take it,like I say, one day at a time.
(19:28):
Yeah.
Phil (19:29):
Wow.
George (19:29):
One day at a time.
Phil (19:30):
Do you ever, uh, do you ever have any situations where
it was just.
Oh, just crazy.
And like you might like demonicor anything like that with the
drugs or like was,
George (19:41):
yes.
I had one experience.
Oh man, Phil, I was, I was upunder the two 80 bypass bridge.
You know the one you go acrossto Walmart?
Yeah.
I was right up under there bythe chip factory.
I was sitting there, thatspirit, Lord have mercy.
That spirit had me so scared.
I walked from right there allthe way to Olac on the railroad
track.
Yeah.
(20:02):
I can walk to Olac about four.
Phil (20:03):
So you
George (20:03):
saw something?
Yeah.
Yeah.
All the way.
I tell'em all the time.
It gone been three times since Iwalked from there.
All the way to OB Laika.
Phil (20:10):
Yeah.
George (20:11):
And get up there and realize it daylight and gotta
turn around and walk all the wayback on that railroad track.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yes.
Phil (20:19):
So you, because you were so scared.
You just got a room.
I was so
George (20:21):
scared.
Phil.
Phil (20:22):
That was when you was on the meth?
George (20:23):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right up under that bridge.
Phil (20:26):
Wow.
Yeah.
Someone shared on a podcast, uh,yes.
That meth even more than thanother drugs.
It's like a demonic.
It is just, uh, it is just a,it's very messed up.
Horrible.
Yeah, it's very messed up.
George (20:40):
I'm serious, man.
Serious.
Wow.
It had me, man.
I didn't want to believe I didthat.
I looked back, I said threetimes to ob like him.
I know some people saying oblikeer, but to walk up there
scared on the railroad track atnight.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Phil (20:55):
That must've been scary.
Oh,
George (20:57):
it was scary.
But trust me, I had, I wasscared.
Wow.
Phil (21:01):
That was,
George (21:01):
that, that was the
Phil (21:01):
fear.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Any other, uh, crazy story ortwo that you wanna share?
Mm, some something that juststands out, like, man.
Uh, and maybe a, a warning storythat's like, Hey, this is what
happened.
I can tell you
George (21:16):
this, that male, please don't mess with it.
Because I almost had a scarymoment.
Also there was one more.
I was over there doing grovewith these people that I thought
I could trust and there was thisother person over there sitting
back and when I turned my back,he had put some fentanyl in it.
And by that time that guy seenit.
He told me, George, don't touchthat.
(21:37):
Yeah.
Phil (21:38):
Wow.
Yes.
George (21:38):
Like
Phil (21:39):
trying to kill you, I
George (21:40):
guess.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I can, I can seen a lot of swaplike that where Pope just pass
out.
Yeah.
Phil (21:46):
cause someone, someone sneaks and puts fentanyl.
Mm-hmm.
Why
George (21:48):
did
Phil (21:49):
they do that?
Or why would someone do that?
No.
Feel just evil.
The enemy.
The, the demons and the, the
George (21:54):
money.
Yeah.
I'm serious.
Seen a lot of crazy stuff, man.
I do not wish to show up on tv,but yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
I've been through it a lot, man.
But I thank God for where I'm atnow.
Phil (22:08):
Amen.
Serious.
Amen.
George, take a second and sharesome of the key lessons that you
really stand out to you fromwhat you've learned along the
way and the key lessons thatmaybe could be a help for others
to know.
George (22:24):
Me first, I'm gonna tell you, don't do drugs.
Try not to let your friendsencourage you to do anything.
And I can say that's and that Itell everybody, if you don't
give your life to God, causehe's gonna be there, that's your
only family you got.
If you thank them folks outthere in them streets, your
family, no, you dead wrong.
(22:44):
That's your enemy.
I'm serious because if you got,somebody can come up and say,
Hey, that's wrong.
That's the guy you need totrust.
But if you got those that'sgonna let you do it, then they
should not your friends.
Period.
Wow.
Yeah, I know that a lot.
Yeah.
Yes.
I ain't even got no friends.
I got my heavily family.
But far as now, safe House,freedom House, those are the
(23:04):
people that I can really trust'cause they've been there.
Yeah.
You see?
Yeah.
But outside of that, I'm a closenetwork with my family now.
'cause see, I got everything Ineed back.
My brothers, my sisters, mykids, my grandkids.
I got that back where I had lostit and it took me a while to get
it back.
cause I tell them, I said, look,if you are here at the Freedom
(23:26):
House, guess what?
Here's where you can renew themind, restore the body, and
rejoice back to the Lord.
I said, but he gonna bring allthat back to you.
I said, it took me 30 years toget all this back.
It may not take you longer.
I'm telling you about my trialsand tribulation, how long it
took me.
But you can't get that back.
See, a lot of'em don't havefamilies.
(23:47):
You see they have them, but theysay they don't have'em.
Phil (23:50):
Yeah.
George (23:51):
I told'em if you trust in the love and believe in him,
'cause they always now my mainthing is proverb three five,
trust in God, believe in him andnot your own understanding.
'cause your own understandingwill get you in a lot of
trouble.
Phil (24:02):
You're right about that.
George (24:04):
Yes.
Your own understanding will.
Yeah.
Yes.
And like I said, I always giveit to him no matter what it is.
And I always like to stay happy.
I'm trying to do me feel, itbeen a long time since I feel
Phil (24:16):
good, but when you're walking close with the Lord,
there is a joy that you have inthat
George (24:20):
it's, it is.
Now I'm able to smile.
I'm able to have fun.
I'm able to keep money in mypocket.
That's awesome.
I'm able to spend time with mykids.
What more can I ask for?
Yeah.
Yes.
Relationship I, and that's onthe back burner.
Yeah.
Yes.
'cause right now I'm still youngand doing me see, yeah.
I may joke, I may talk, butrelationship, no, I'm not
interested in that yet becauseI'm still trying to get close to
(24:42):
the Lord.
I'm still learning.
I'm still growing.
Phil (24:45):
That's a powerful lesson.
Yes.
That I think a lot of peoplewould do well to remember.
Yeah.
So many people try to get intoand pursue relationships with
others.
Yeah, exactly.
George (24:55):
And
Phil (24:55):
they're not
George (24:56):
ready.
No, I'm
Phil (24:56):
not ready.
No, I know.
You gotta get yourself right.
Thank
George (24:59):
you.
Phil (24:59):
First.
First.
Yes.
Yeah.
George (25:01):
Because in our class, narcotic nine will tell you if
you jump into a relationshipthat's real early in your
addiction, you can easily fallback into, you have to watch it.
So you know, I'm learning how todo me first to build me
stronger.
I'm just an I year clean.
So.
I'm not ready for none of that.
But I got my family back.
(25:22):
He gave me that
Phil (25:23):
praise the Lord.
Yes.
George (25:23):
He gave me that back, which I thank him a lot.
Praise him for
Phil (25:27):
Yes.
Wow.
Yes.
That's good.
So don't, don't take the firststep.
No, don't take that first step.
You never end up in the, in thetrain wreck in the darkness, in
the, none of that on thestreets.
If you don't take the firststep.
Yeah.
If you don't pick up, you won'tuse.
If only, if only we could getthat message into the minds of
people that are on the verge,you know?
(25:49):
Yes.
cause we don't, we don't thinkabout it.
I know.
Like we just, it's carefreeliving lives.
Yes.
You know?
Yeah.
And then some, someone says, Heycome try this out with us.
That's what it was with me.
And then all of sudden, suddenwe had no idea of where it would
lead to.
Yes.
Where it would lead to that dogside.
Yeah.
The devil is, yeah.
Oh, he is a hateful enemy.
(26:09):
Yes.
Tricks you and brings you in anddeceives you.
And then he puts his claws inyou and he drags you down.
George (26:16):
Yes.
And also the father said, youcan get so far in darkness.
You can't come back to thelight.
Darkness.
We will consume your soul.
I have seen a lot of that.
Yes.
Darkness consumed their soul.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
Some of my peoples that I knowdead, why overdose?
Yeah.
Fentanyl shooting up.
Yeah.
Gone.
(26:37):
Yeah.
Wow.
Some of them real clean.
Doing good.
I look up to them.
They, I look up to my oldestbrother, sister, and them.
They're doing good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They're really Christian.
I got a baby brother who's aminister that I can talk to too.
Yes.
Phil (26:50):
That's awesome.
George (26:51):
Yes.
And when I need'em, they'rethere.
Phil (26:53):
Praise the Lord.
Yes.
Anything else you wanna share?
George (26:57):
Yeah.
I want to thank Pastor Paul,pastor Eric, chaplain Neil, miss
Jamie Lee Ton.
For giving me the opportunity,gimme this job.
Yes.
I really enjoy and I wanna tryto encourage many more of them
guys there too.
That's good.
Because they need it serious.
Yeah.
So I can look back at them andsee me in there.
Yeah.
(27:17):
Yeah.
I was once like that too.
They praise the Lord.
Somebody gave me a chance.
Yes.
Praise the Lord.
Yes.
Phil (27:23):
Yeah.
And there's so many more everyday Yes.
That are coming to the safehouse.
I know.
I see.
That are looking for thatchance.
And I see it all the time.
I
George (27:31):
feel, well we gonna fill up and we don't have the
bedroom.
And they be telling me, man, Ican been out here three, four
months.
I ain't got nowhere to go.
Wow.
You know, that night turning aperson away.
Wow.
Saying, I don't have idea.
That need is so
Phil (27:43):
great.
Yes.
There's so many people.
Yes.
I think a lot of us don'trealize that I know it like
that, that it's just as manypeople as Yes.
We're able to house and help andget into the program.
Yes.
And.
But there's just, they
George (27:58):
instead coming so many Oh man.
They instead coming and youknow, some of'em I have seen cry
because they say they havenowhere to go.
Phil (28:06):
So yeah.
We, we still got the women'sshelter.
The men's shelter.
The family shelter.
Yes.
And those are staying full?
Yes.
And the, the Substance AbuseTreatment program?
Yes.
All of it.
Yeah.
Yes.
It's still going strong, butthere's Yes.
There's just so many.
Yes.
So many still are coming.
Yeah.
I appreciate you being here,George.
Yes, sir.
Appreciate you sharing yourstory.
(28:27):
No problem.
It is a blessing and anencouragement to hear a story
like yours.
Yes.
Of just how God brought you outof that
George (28:32):
and to my out of
Phil (28:34):
it.
Um, and I hope Thank you.
I hope that it's anencouragement to, to all the
people that partner with SafeHouse Yes.
That come and volunteer, thatgive financially to help the
program.
Yes.
Because.
What that partnership does ishelp, yeah.
Allows us to help more folksYes.
That are coming out of thatdarkness, helping them to turn
(28:54):
the things around Yes.
And exactly.
To walk in the light.
Yes.
And then they go on to help justlike you're doing.
Yes.
Helping other people.
Helping other people becausethere's so many more that need
help.
True.
Yeah.
Yes, man.
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord God is
George (29:06):
good all the time.
Yeah.
Phil (29:08):
Thank you for being here, George.
Yes sir.
Phil, thank you to all of youwho are listening who do partner
with Safe House, who come andvolunteer, or who give
financially to help thisministry.
The need is great and it justcontinues to grow, but it's
because of partnerships ofothers that are working with us
that we're able to help so many.
(29:28):
George, you mind if I close thisin a word of prayer?
Yes.
Father, I love you and I thankyou for George.
Thank you for what you've donein his life, Lord.
Thank you for restoring him tohis family.
I just, what a blessing it isthat he gets to spend time with
his kids and, and his grandkids.
Lord, thank you for that.
Help him to, to stay faithful toyou.
(29:51):
Help him to be a godly and agood example for his kids and
his grandkids, Lord.
Uh, help him to be able to besuch an encouragement to so many
men that are there at FreedomHouse.
Use George to help maybe thosewho might be considering just
giving up.
Use him to encourage them tostay the course.
(30:11):
And I just pray you would blessGeorge's future in so many ways
and use him to do your will andin the lives of many people.
To show your mercy and yourgrace, I pray.
Amen.
06-21-23 SAFEHOUSE-CH2 (30:24):
We look forward to being with you again
next week as we share anothertestimony about the power and
the goodness of God to changelives through Safe House
Ministries.
if you are someone listening tothis podcast that loves to hear
these stories of the greatthings that God is doing in
changing people's lives for thebetter, and if you would like to
be a part of that work, pleasereach out to us You can reach us
(30:47):
at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus,Georgia, 31,904.
You can call us at seven oh sixthree two two.
3 7, 7 3, or you can email us atinfo@safehouse-ministries.com.
Microphone (Samson Q2U Mi (31:01):
Thank you so much for being with us
this week for the renew restoreand rejoice podcast of safe
house ministries, we pray thatGod will bless you this week.
And we look forward to havingyou back with us again next week
for a new episode.
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