Jonathan Shives
I am forty years old, and life is good… but it wasn’t always this way. A few years ago, I was at the lowest point in my life. Someone came along, gave me a chance, and helped my get to where I am today. Here’s my story.
I was born in Lexington NC, but I grew up mostly in Salisbury, NC. I was very athletic growing up. I still have a love for sports – especially my Carolina Tar Heels. I am a diehard fan!
At the age of twenty, I realized that working indoors wasn’t for me. I wanted to be outdoors, in God’s country, working with my hands. I landed in lawn care and landscaping where I wasn’t in one place all day every day. There is always something new and different each day. I have been in this field for the past twenty years. While I had success in landscaping, in reality, my life was out of control. I had fought addiction for most of my career – in and out of treatment centers. I had trouble accepting life as it was.
I had always believed in God; but rather than building a relationship with Him, I had just followed my own self-will. I was in my late thirty’s when I finally hit bottom. I surrendered my life to Jesus, then put my life on hold in order to get the help I needed. I came to Raleigh in order check into a thirteen-month addiction recovery program called The Healing Transitions. During this time, I worked through the twelve steps; and for the first time, I began to build a relationship with God. The day I graduated from this program I met a man named Lee Flach. Lee is a follower of Jesus, and shares a similar journey as mine. He had fought addiction for twenty years and was now several years out of recovery and running a successful growing landscaping company. He offered me a chance to work for him while I continued my recovery.
Lee helped me move into a place called Sober Living House, where I could stay, continue my recovery, and begin working again. I stayed there for twenty months while rebuilding my life and career. Eventually, I moved out of the recovery house and purchased my own home and vehicle. I am now a member of Journey Church, where I serve and participate in a small group. And… I am newly married!
Now, two years after meeting Lee, I am his supervisor and operations manager, entrusted to help run this growing business. God brought him into my life when I needed a chance.
Today I have accepted the fact that the path I chose was the path I had to take in order to help the next man suffering. I am grateful to be a part of a company where we put God first, and offer a chance to others on their own recovery journey.
Glory to God!