Welcome And Promise Of Restoration

Announcer 0:01

It's time now to get the hell out of your life. A weekly broadcast with real people, sharing real struggles, and offering real hope. Today's show will encourage, inspire, and empower you to face life's challenges with a bold confidence and renewed hope. Now let's join our host, Ron Myers, the promoter.

Ron Meyers 0:22

Hello, my friends, and welcome to Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Real stories, real struggles with real hope. I'm Ron Myers, I'm your host, and well, if life has knocked the crap out of you, if things don't make sense, if you're confused, if nobody understands you, well, you're in the right place. Because this is the show for the people that are still trying to find their path in life. What is it, God, that you want from us? And I share stories from individuals who gave up on trying to figure out life and started trusting God and their life changed forever. The moral of the story that with God, restoration is possible. Because sometimes the first step towards freedom in our lives isn't fixing your life, it's hearing stories of faith that demonstrate that restoration is possible. Today you're going to hear a beautiful story of restoration. Jamie Tidwell. Her story is encouraging. She was homeless, addicted, grieving the loss of her husband, facing legal trouble, and she reached the end of herself. But isn't that exactly where God begins with each of us when we come to the end of our rope? Well, today you're going to hear how a children's Bible, a few faithful people, and a God who never stopped pursuing her changed everything. Let's take a listen to Jamie's story.

Jamie’s Rock Bottom On The Streets

Jamie Tidwell 1:54

I went through a really bad part of my life to where I was homeless, my husband died, and then was on the streets. And on top of that, I also had been in trouble with the law, so I was not going to my probation. And I was just doing a lot of things that I shouldn't do.

Ron Meyers 2:12

Life is it just happened. So what happened to get you on that road to hell?

Jamie Tidwell 2:20

You know, I thought about it a million times, and the only answer that I have for that, and this is not a good answer, is that that's how I found Jesus. So I know it sounds so funny, but I have thank God every day for my felony that I got. Because had it not been for a felony and having to go to a program, court ordered, of course, and I was happy to do that because I was really tired. But that's when I found out about, you know, they asked me, is Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior? I had gone to another one called Crossroads Ministry back in 2021. And I really didn't take it seriously. But they had asked me, you know, is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? And I said, I don't know what you're talking about. And they just they kind of laughed. And I said, Seriously, I don't know what you're talking about. And we had a volunteer there, and his name was Mr. Wiley. And he sat me down and he told me what to do, and he said, I wouldn't let the sun go down on you. And I still had no idea what they were talking about. I I I really didn't. That's where I first kind of started knowing who Jesus was. My my mentor started me out with a children's Bible. Okay, so I didn't know that Moses parted the Red Sea. I didn't know any of that. And and I don't know how I didn't, but I wasn't raised in church. I didn't go to church. If we went to church, it was on like Easter, and you know, I went to a little Lutheran church camp when I was younger. My grandma sent me, but I didn't have a relationship with God. So that's where I kind of first started to learn about God. But then I went back off the beaten path, went homeless for three years, went back to where I'm from. And when I got on that road, that's when everything just got really, really bad because I was just, you know, smoking weed, drinking alcohol. What really got me was the meth. And you know, I'd always put down people that did it, and I said I would never do that. Once I started, I could not stop. And there were many times that I wanted to make that first, you know, step and go somewhere. And I even went somewhere, but they were closed for the day, you know.

Ron Meyers 4:18

But did you try to make a deal with God? If I can get off of this math, I'll go to church every day.

Jamie Tidwell 4:26

No, I didn't make a deal with God, but I was at the end of my ropes and I've been back out on the streets for like three years, and I wanted my family back. I have, you know, a great family, three kids, you know, they're a little older now, but they all miss me, and I was

Seven Specific Signs And A Call

Jamie Tidwell 4:40

very selfish. So I was walking one day and I was talking to God, and I would tell this whole story because I think I put it in my what I wrote about, but at this time I really didn't know you're not supposed to ask for signs and you're not supposed to test God, or I don't know if it's even testing God, but anyway, I asked him to show me something. And literally, and this is what I did, and I said it out loud. So then I thought, maybe that was, you know, the devil could hear me. I'm not really sure. I did it for six more times, and I said it in my head. And every time that I asked God to show me something or show me a sign or anything like that, and I got really, really specific, okay? And he did it seven times in a row. Seven times. And the last one was a real opener to where it sounds crazy when I tell people, and I just don't ever speak about it because I don't know. I mean, I know God does miracles, and I just think it was God's way of opening my eyes and saying, Hey, I'm still here, and I've always been here for you.

Ron Meyers 5:45

I was going to ask you, what do you think God wanted from you that he was giving you signs to recognize him?

Jamie Tidwell 5:53

I think he's calling me. That's exactly what I think. I think God was calling my name, and for some reason or another, I listened, and it just happened to be at the perfect time, and just I had friends, you know, my street friends, but I was always usually by myself. So I had a lot of time to myself. And I I had learned a little bit at Crossroads Ministry about, you know, Jesus. And so I would always, if I was down on my luck or not feeling good, that's when I kind of cried out to him. But then it got to where I was just kind of doing on a regular basis. And I was getting sick of being on the street and I was becoming a person that I didn't want to be. You know, I have worked as a registered nurse. My graduated from Mississippi College in Clinton. It's a private Christian college. How I did not know about Jesus and God through that, I don't know, but you just had to take the old and new testament and you just read it, took tests. I wanted to get back to my life, you know. I wanted to get back to enjoying life. I wanted my family back because I, you know, I was a big family person. And then all of a sudden, you know, people would look at me on the street that didn't know me and think the worst of me. And I just didn't like it. It made me see both sides of the fence, I will tell you that. It's made my outlook on life way different, and it's just made it's just made my life better.

Ron Meyers 7:09

So I do thank God that I went through some bad patches in my life because now Well, you know, Jamie, I have interviewed hundreds of people, and not one of them ever came to know Jesus when life was all hunky dory. They all met Jesus when they got to the end of themselves, just like you. Not only did God want you to come to meet him, now he wants you to share your story with people all over the world because you have something that other people need to hear.

Jamie Tidwell 7:43

I mean, the main part is it doesn't matter what what you're doing in your life, it doesn't matter if you're not doing right or you're doing right that he's still there. And I just know that for a fact. You know, my heart goes out to the homeless family, really, because I was that person and I see that the way some people will treat you when they don't know anything about you. The homeless people are my people.

Ron Meyers 8:06

Amen.

Jamie Tidwell 8:07

I mean, they really are. It's made me look at every single body. I you know, they say don't judge, and I don't, but I look, it doesn't matter what you look like, it doesn't matter where you came from, it doesn't matter how much money you got. It I treat everybody I try to, everybody the same because I don't know anybody's story in life. And there was a time in my life when I didn't, I wouldn't say I didn't do that. I was always being kind and nice because I was raised that way. However, anyway, it's just made me a better person. I don't know any other way to say that.

Sobriety Milestones And Family Repair

Ron Meyers 8:40

So, how is life for Jamie Tidwell today?

Jamie Tidwell 8:44

Let's see. Well, I've got almost it doesn't matter about the years clean, but I have almost two years clean in like three weeks, which is a milestone for me because that's whether it's been just drinking in my life. I mean, that's been going on since I was 17 years old, and I'm I just turned 50. So that's different. I have a relationship with God, that's different. My relationship with my my mother is different. We always had a good relationship, but now relationship with my father is different. My kids, they're just glad to have me have them back in my life. I believe so. I mean, they act like they do and they don't hold any grudges. Praise God about that. I did call the Mississippi Board of Nursing to get my restoration and nursing license packet back because that's the only way that I'm gonna be able to provide for myself and my kids, you know, eventually in life, you know, because that's all I know. But I have voluntarily surrendered that due to DUIs. And what else? Oh, I have a job coming up. I've been at this ministry almost two years. I have a job at the end of July. Then maybe I'll be able to buy a car. What I really want to do is eventually I want to I want to help people that have been in the same position that I've been. And I know a lot of people say that and they want to do peer groups or they want to do this and that. But what I would really like to do is missionary work, and I'd like to go out in the streets and just be a street preacher and try to get people to God or try to see what their needs are. Because I think that the best way to help somebody is to be in their shoes. I've been in their shoes and to just go right back out on the streets with a different frame of mind, not out there trying to drink and drug and scheme and all that.

Ron Meyers 10:28

If you came up on a homeless person today, what would you say to them when they say, hey ma'am, will you give me a dollar or two?

Jamie Tidwell 10:36

Oh, I always do, and I tell them God loves them.

Ron Meyers 10:39

Amen.

Jamie Tidwell 10:40

Every yeah, every uh that's the main thing I say. Hey, God loves you, you are valued, you know, and I'll pray for them and say, God, I hope that all their needs are met. I hope they find shelter. I hope they have warm clothing or cool clothing. They get out of sun or they get out of snow.

Ron Meyers 10:55

Do you tell them that you used to be where they are right now? Yes, and that there is a better life.

Jamie Tidwell 11:02

Every single time. Every single time. I mean, it's even random too. When we go fundraising and we go into different cities and I see homeless people, I'm almost drawn to them. In fact, I almost catch myself looking for them. You know, I'll go say, Hey, you need a pack of cigarettes? Do you need a cold beer? I mean, I'm not trying to encourage that, but I was one at one time. You know, do you need something to eat?

Ron Meyers 11:26

That's what a missionary would do. And you wanted to be a missionary, so you are a missionary when you go out there. And sometimes I know people, I give people money and they say, Well, you don't know what they're going to spend it on. And I say, Well, I don't go that far. I just want them to know somebody cares, and then I can lead them to my story about how I met Jesus. And you know, they don't do anything. I've never had one on the spot do something, but I plant the seed, and then when I walk away, I just say, Lord, I planted the seed, just be with that person. And and I pray that one day that they found help like you did, and so many of the other people that I interviewed.

Jamie Tidwell 12:10

Exactly, exactly. Because I know that you know there's good people out there all around, and sometimes they just need an opportunity to do better, and sometimes they just don't have any family. Sometimes they don't even know where to go for help because I've been homeless in other cities too, and you go to social services and they might contemporarily

Peace Replaces Anxiety Through Scripture

Jamie Tidwell 12:27

help you.

Ron Meyers 12:27

Was there one thing that Jesus did that really surprised you?

Jamie Tidwell 12:33

I have more peace. I have more, I don't worry. Okay, so if something goes wrong in my life, I just give it to God. So I always go back to it's don't be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication, give thanksgiving to God. I guess my big thing with that is don't pray. It says be anxious for nothing. So you're not supposed to pray when you're worried, because that the way the scripture says, it's just not gonna work. And a lot of times if I was worried about something, you know, I would pray and hope that it would get better. And now I just don't worry. I mean, literally, I just cast all my cares on God. And if something didn't go right, I know that God, I trust in God, I trust in Jesus, and I know that everything's gonna work out for the good. And have found that out that even here lately, when I have worried, I look back on it two weeks later and I'm like, why did you do that? Because you done told yourself many, many times, do not do that because it's gonna do no good, and everything's just gonna work out the way it's supposed to, anyway. As long as I'm doing the right thing and staying in the will of God, and I get peace from reading my Bible.

Ron Meyers 13:40

Amen.

Jamie Tidwell 13:41

I have to read my Bible and I have to have time to myself.

Ron Meyers 13:45

I call it coffee with Jesus. I have to have my coffee with Jesus every day, our Coca-Cola with Jesus, whatever it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I need that, I need that private time, kind of charges, charges us up for the day and gets us prepared. And and congratulations on going on two years of being sober, clean. But like all of us, temptations never go away. For that person out there listening, they are wondering, well, how does she do that for two

Beating Temptation With Prayer And Distance

Ron Meyers 14:15

years? How do you overcome temptations in your life?

Jamie Tidwell 14:19

The way that I overcome temptation is basically when I first started this whole journey, and it's been almost two years, and it's been a long journey, let me tell you. So we got a lot of soul searching going on. You know, in the beginning, temptation was still there. And I'm not gonna lie, when I would get stressed out, that's when it would really come. And that's what I used to do. I would run away from everything, you know, or if somebody made me mad, you know, I would just say, Man, forget that. I'm going out, you know, and so now I back away from people and I pray and it passes. And I think that I think as long as my my mind is better, you know, because my mind was still kind of a little crazy, you know, it was all it was still, I wouldn't say the wires were cut short because I thank God every day that I didn't lose my mind. But I think the longer that I've been sober, it's just easier. I guess it's because I'm also getting the gifts of God. I'm getting blessings after blessings after blessings. I mean, it's just blessings on blessings. So why would I stop now? Because I'm looking forward to see what God's gonna do in the future. It's exciting to me.

Ron Meyers 15:24

Amen.

Jamie Tidwell 15:24

You know, I'm like, look at God, look at God showing up, you know, and and that's that that's really, you know, our director here tells us that, you know, God's got all these presents underneath the tree. It's just up to you to go and get the presents and receive the presents. Yeah, so it just keeps getting better.

Ron Meyers 15:43

Amen. And you sound so good, Jamie. And I'm so glad that you stopped by this office. People ask me all the time, where do you find your guests? I said, I don't find them. They just seem to just find me. And uh, right. Amen. And I love it. So before we go, you have the microphone. Mr.

Jamie Tidwell 16:03

Lane was so nice, she was so sweet.

Ron Meyers 16:05

Yeah, she is, she's a sweet office manager. But right now, you've got the microphone and you can speak to somebody out there that's just hurting in life. They're close to calling it quits, they don't know what to do, but some reason they're listening to our conversation. What would Jamie Tidwell tell that person?

Jamie Tidwell 16:26

I would tell them don't give up on God because He's never given up on you. That's what I would say in a nutshell. Yes, sir.

Ron Meyers 16:33

Well, before we go, the title of the show is Get the Hell Out of Your Life. What is the one thing that people need to do to get the hell out of their life?

Jamie Tidwell 16:44

I guess get into God's life. That'll get you out of self and get you into God. We're supposed to imitate God. God is love. So you need to love everybody, you need to treat everybody with kindness, because being kind and nice is free.

Speaker 2 16:58

Right.

Jamie Tidwell 16:58

So it isn't it doesn't take anything. You wake up with a joyful attitude, become grateful for what you have and what not for what you don't have. Because that, you know, I did struggle with that, and I still do like I need a car, I need this, I need this. That'll all come in time because I don't need that right now. Because there's a good chance maybe something is not right and not, you know, something bad will happen. So, you know, even if, you know, say I'm in a vehicle and I make the wrong turn, and then I have this little chick talking to me and goes, reroute. I said, Look, she is rerouting my life, because probably God, you know, I don't need to go down that path. So I'm always rerouting, trying to stay in the will of God. I am.

Ron Meyers 17:42

I like that. Rerouting. That's right. A lot of us need to reroute. We want to get the hell out of our lives, we need to reroute.

Jamie Tidwell 17:50

Yes.

Ron Meyers 17:50

Amen.

Jamie Tidwell 17:51

You stay on God's path, you know.

Ron Meyers 17:52

Stay on God's path.

Jamie Tidwell 17:54

That's what I was stay on his path. Yes. I love me. That that that's yeah, that's it.

Ron Meyers 17:59

Well, I know you have a little one behind you. He he gets to hear you talk about God, even if he doesn't understand it. He's a plant and a seed.

Jamie Tidwell 18:07

Oh, he was like he was born. Yeah, he was born here. His mother came here when she was pregnant. She's been here four years. Where are you? Satarsha, Mississippi. It's in between Vicksburg and Yazoo City on Highway Three.

Ron Meyers 18:19

Okay.

Jamie Tidwell 18:19

And it's Foundation on the Rock, is it? Or Foundation on the Rock Ministry. FoundationOnther Rock.com. And it's free to come here. And if you have a child and you're a woman, it's not men, it's just women, but you're you can bring your child too, and it's free.

Ron Meyers 18:34

Oh, wow, that's awesome. Before we go, will you close us out with prayer for the listeners or people listening?

Jamie Tidwell 18:41

Good and gracious Father. I just pray that everybody listens today can be blessed. And I pray that somehow, if they're not with God, that somehow God will speak to them and get him on the right path. And I just pray that everybody will be safe today, even our troops that are overseas. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Rerouting Steps You Can Take Today

Ron Meyers 19:05

After talking with Jamie, I could not help but notice all the changes that happened when she rerouted her life towards Jesus. Think about this, my friend. Just a few years ago, she was homeless, addicted, estranged from family, and wondering if life would ever get better. Well, today she is approaching two years of sobriety. Her relationship with God is growing. Her relationships with her parents and children have been restored. She has peace where anxiety once lived. She has hope for the future instead of fear of tomorrow. She's working toward restoring her nursing license. Most importantly, she's no longer just surviving. She's living with purpose. She rerouted her life and God never disappointed. And here's what we are reminded that none of the blessings happened while she was running from God. They began showing up when she rerouted her life and started walking with him. So now let me flip the script and ask you a question. What about you? Are there areas of your life that need a reroute? Maybe you're stuck in fear. Maybe you are carrying anger. Maybe you're battling an addiction. Or maybe you're just exhausted from trying to control everything. And maybe you have drifted away from God, but you don't know what to do. What would happen if you rerouted? Can you see the good things that happened to Jamie happening to you? What blessings might be on the other side of your next step of faith? The GPS in your car says rerouting when you've taken a wrong turn. It doesn't condemn you. It doesn't shame you. It simply finds a new path forward. That's what God does, my friend. And if you're ready to begin to reroute toward purpose, passion, and peace, I have a few simple steps. Number one, stop and get honest. You can't reroute if you refuse to admit you're lost. Talk honestly with God about where you are. Number two, spend time with Jesus every day. I call it coffee with Jesus. Whether it's five minutes or fifty, make space for God to speak into your life. Number three, read God's word. You don't have to know everything. Jamie started with a children's Bible, which I think was outstanding. Start where you are and keep moving forward. Number four, find people who will encourage your faith. Nobody reroutes alone. That's why you need to continue. To listen to this show because I'm on your side. Let's encourage each other together. Connect with people who will point you towards hope. Number five, take the right step. Don't worry about the next five years. Just take the next step God is putting in front of you today. And number six, share your story. Someone needs to hear what God is doing in your life. Just like I needed to hear today, Jamie's story. It helps fortify my faith. Your testimony, friend, may become the seed of hope for another person. The truth is, God isn't waiting for you to become perfect. He's waiting for you to turn towards him. Jamie's story proves that no life is too broken, no mistake is too big, and no road is too far gone for God to reroute. The question isn't whether God can change your life. The question is, are you ready to let him in? How do you get the hell out of your life?

Ad 23:03

Get on your knees and cry out to the Lord. He hears you right where you are.

Announcer 23:07

How to get the hell out of your life? Well, yeah, replace it with Jesus. We got to be born again, born of the Spirit, and that's by trusting Jesus Christ, turning from our sins and trusting Jesus. How do you get the hell out of your life? Oh gosh.

Ron Meyers 23:18

Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. So are you ready to start rerouting your life? Can you see yourself actually enjoying life again? Waking up with hope instead of dread, living with peace instead of anxiety, walking in freedom instead of being trapped in shame, guilt, and condemnation. That's exactly what happened to Jamie, and it can happen to you. She didn't clean herself up and then come to God. She came to God broken, tired, addicted, homeless, and out of answers. And that's where everything began to change. So maybe that's where you are today. Maybe you've taken a few wrong turns, made some mistakes, maybe you have even convinced yourself that you've gone too far or stayed away too long. The truth is you haven't. The beautiful truth is that God is not running from you, He's running towards you. In fact, He's been chasing you your entire life. Every nudge you felt, every moment you wondered if there had to be more. Every time you heard someone share their testimony, every time you felt that gentle pull on your heart, that's God saying, I'm still here. And he's ready to reroute your life. Not because you're good enough, not because you've earned it, not because you've got it all figured out. He's ready because he loves you. Jesus said, Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. So if you're tired of carrying the weight of your past, if you're tired of trying to fix yourself, if you're tired of living without purpose, passion, and peace, today can be your day. Simply tell Jesus, I need you. I believe you died for me and rose again. I give you my life today. Lead me, teach me, show me your way. Friend, that's where the reroute begins. And I promise the road ahead may not always be easy, but it will be worth it because you won't be walking it alone.

Prayerful Close And How To Connect

Ron Meyers 25:39

Before I go, if this program encouraged you, please like our Facebook page, Get the Hell Out of Your Life. And if God has done something special in your life, I'd love to hear your story. Visit thepromoter.org and click share your story. I'll see you next week with another grace-filled episode of Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Until next week, remember this: God has a purpose for your life. Jesus loves you, and it's never too late to remote.

Announcer 26:27

Today's show is produced by Ron Myers Ministries, a listener-supported ministry. For a copy of today's broadcast, please visit our website, thepromoter.org. And would you prayerfully consider making a tax-deductible donation so that we may continue to share stories of God's amazing grace with the world? And join us next week for another broadcast of Get the Hell Out of Your Life.

Ad 26:50

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