Never To Late To Regain Hope
09/05/2017 .Heather Cova thought she had life all figured out. While completing her Ph.D., she dreamt of being the President of the Smithsonian or the Getty Museum. She pictured herself in her power suit and heels, strutting the halls of either museum making key leadership decisions. Heather believed her worth was in her title, position and designer shoes. But God knew Heather’s true worth and identity and carefully crafted key events in her life to reveal this to her.
After receiving her doctorate, she lined up informational meetings at every museum in Southern California, but nothing transpired. God began to set his plans in motion when a friend requested that Heather interview at a nonprofit organization in Central Santa Ana. Reaching out in urban areas with a high gang membership, this organization ran an after school program offering youngsters a way of avoiding gang affiliation. “I was very humbled at this interview and God opened by eyes to the work he was doing in this neighborhood,” explains Heather. “I left knowing these are the people God has called me to serve.”
That launched Heather into a career in nonprofit management and for more than a decade she worked for nonprofits and philanthropists within Orange County. Her career was advancing and her leadership roles increased. Again, Heather thought she had life figured out. But then she found herself broken and lost when her marriage was in crisis. This is what led Heather to walk through the doors of Celebrate Recovery. “This was the last place that I imagined myself to be on a Friday night. I didn’t need recovery. I was successful, well educated, and relatively normal.”
Still after several nonprofit management positions, Heather realized she wasn’t in her sweet spot and felt out of alignment. It wasn’t due to bad career moves, but something much deeper stirring inside. “When I completed a moral inventory, I realized I placed myself in a self-inflicted prison. Instead of embracing my identity as a daughter of the King, I was overwhelmed with insecurity, guilt, pride, shame and perfectionism. I was chasing accolades from society and this kept me further from God. I knew I had to examine the hurts done to me, but also those I inflicted on others. I wanted to find healing from my past.”
Last August, Heather took a week off work to volunteer at the CR Summit and have a focused time to carefully consider her next steps. “I had always believed my worth was based on achievement and how well I fit into society’s ideals. But my perspective began to change once I started attending CR. I learned how to be open about my brokenness. Despite my flaws, I found acceptance with others in the program and embraced that I do not have to be perfect.”
Heather also recognized another hangup. “Before I went through CR, I played judge in my life. I judged people who were different from me. I didn’t realize I was following only a portion of God’s Word.” Heather recalled one powerful speaker at a Christian conference she attended years earlier. “He said, ‘If you take out the verses in the Bible that talk about caring for those less fortunate, a very flimsy book would be left.’ I wanted to follow the entire Bible – I didn’t want to miss any pieces of God’s Word.”
Through a series of connections, Heather had the opportunity to talk with Danny Duchene, a Saddleback Pastor and the National Director of CR Inside. Danny knows firsthand about how God works in prisons. Heather listened to his vision and was immediately excited. “He talked about how bleak and discouraging prisons are. But he also spoke how CR brings hope inside prisons – how spirit-filled fellowship can hastens recovery. The program teaches inmates to let go of shame and take hold of pardon. He spoke and I knew I wanted to be part of that.”
CR Inside is partnering with Saddleback Women’s Ministry to fellowship with women inmates. “The three big buckets of CR Inside are restoration, recovery and re-entry. Saddleback Women are in a unique position to use their gifts of compassion, hospitality, administration and a willingness to share what Jesus has done for them to positively impact women inmates.”
A two-hour event is being planned at the California Institution for Women in Corona. “There is tremendous power when the church embraces the incarcerated and their families. Just being present helps women come out of the shadows of their own sense of failure.” But the power flows both ways. “When I let go of my misconceptions, I grew by embracing my God-fashioned uniqueness. And when I let go of the lies holding me hostage, only then was I able to fully take hold of God’s truth that sets all of us free.
“We aren’t just looking for women who have been through CR. We’re looking for women who can laugh, smile and show God’s love to women. Shame makes all of us feel unwanted, insignificant and unloved. Fellowshipping with women, sharing stories of brokenness and redemption are a huge component of healing. Most of the incarcerated come from low income families with harsh environments. The trauma they endured is a big reason why they are inprisoned.”
As Christians, we all understand how life can sometimes beat you down. But those overwhelmed by life are often more open to accept the overwhelming love of God. Women who have experienced God’s steadfast love would be perfect to show those still seeking how embracing Christ can offer peace.
At the event, a meal will be served, followed by an activity – mostly fun games. Worship, testimonies and a short teaching will round out the time. “We want a high level of community with open and honest communication. A key component to CR is fellowship. When we share our experiences and with God’s help, we help each other move past our brokenness.” The Corona Facility is very diverse, but it is filled with women who share a common belief: You are no good, you’ve lost everything and you deserved to. “But as daughters of the King, we can renew the hope and purpose of those incarcerated. It is never too late to regain hope.”
If you’d like to cheer a woman on to live out their best life, to add value to their uniqueness, then contact Heather at: heatherc@saddlebackvolunteer.com