The Voices Only Went Quiet Around One Person. That's How Clarice Found Her Way to Rise.
Clarice Martinez is a graduate of the Rise Discipleship women's home. Before she got there, life was rough. She was addicted to methamphetamine, chasing more of this and more of that, and, by her own description, a very angry person. On the outside she was barely staying off the streets. On the inside, she had lost any sense of who she was.
The Day They Took Her Son
Clarice's lowest moment was losing her son to her addiction. He was just three months old when he tested positive for methamphetamine.
She had gone to a domestic violence shelter after being beaten up, and while she was there, she would leave her baby with one of her roommates so she could still slip away and get high. An advocate at the shelter, seeing what was happening, called CPS. They tested Clarice, they tested the baby, and the next day, they took him.
"I lost my son when he was three months old, because of my addiction."
The One Person She Felt Safe Around
By the time a graduate of the home told her, twice, to come to Rise, Clarice was worn down to nothing. She was hearing voices and feeling what she'd now call a spiritual attack, and she was exhausted by it. But there was something strange about that one brother.
"Every time I was around that person, they'd talk about Jesus. And I didn't feel all those entities around me, or hear those voices. He was the only person I felt safe around."
So she listened to him. She called the number and came to the home, and when she arrived she was so tired she could barely hold her head up. She was afraid of one thing above all: that if nothing changed, she would never see her son or her daughters again.
Loved When There Was Nothing to Love
The home was culture shock, an experience unlike anything she'd known. She describes it like moving in with distant family who are all still figuring each other out, but who love on you anyway.
"They showed me a lot of love, even though there was nothing to love about me at the time."
Her leaders encouraged her most. They helped her think differently and see herself differently, and they kept showing her one truth from the Bible until it started to sink in.
"You're not a mistake. You're a masterpiece."
And God kept getting her attention. Not one big moment, but a string of them, times she'd be thinking something privately and a leader would speak to that exact thing out loud. Moments that made her stop and think, this God thing is for real.
The Fighter Who Didn't Fight
Clarice grew up a fighter. Look at her wrong and it was on. So she knew something real had changed the day a situation came at her and she simply didn't respond like the old her would have.
"I might have said a word or two. But it was never anything like the old me. I didn't take anybody outside."
Her relationship with Jesus is an actual relationship now. Before, she knew about Him and went to church sometimes, but never really talked to Him. Now, even in her hard moments, the women in the home keep loving her, and for the first time she believes she is lovable.
The Kids Who Showed Up
One of the clearest signs of God's hand came without her even asking. Her children started showing up at church.
"I didn't even ask to see them. They showed up. How did they know where I'm at? And seeing them get excited about church too, that's another God flag."
Now Clarice is excited to keep growing, and to see God use her as a vessel to minister to her own family and to other women walking the road she walked.
If This Is You
Clarice lost her child, heard voices, and believed there was nothing lovable left in her. None of it was the end of her story. If that's where you are, or if you're watching a mother you love lose everything to this, don't wait. It's free, a real person answers day or night, and it starts with one call.
Ready to reach out? Get help now. Freedom really is just one phone call away. (325) 232-5449.
And it's all free because of people like you. In Clarice's own words: "It's not just me you saved. My daughter has her mother back. Thank you."
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or thoughts of suicide, you are not alone and help is available. Rise Discipleship's 24/7 helpline is (325) 232-5449.
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