A Place To Flourish

February 26, 2025

Lucas couldn’t think of his mother without crying. 

She abused drugs and alcohol, and died of an overdose when Lucas was 8 years old. He got upset whenever she came to mind, so he tried his hardest not to think about her. 

Because Lucas’s dad left the family when Lucas was a toddler, he and his younger brother went to live with his grandmother after his mother died. His grandmother did her best, but things just seemed to spiral out of control. 

Lucas soon became responsible for caring for his younger brother. Even though he loved his brother, he resented the responsibility. He began fighting with his grandmother regularly and leaving the house for long stretches of time. 

From there, things did not improve. After the worst fight yet with his grandmother, Lucas got kicked out of her house entirely. He spent several months living with various friends and acquaintances. However, because Lucas worried about being a burden, he didn’t stay anywhere very long. 

While Lucas moved from place to place, he stopped attending school. He was too busy worrying about where he was going to sleep each night to even think about studying. 

Lucas began to feel pressured by other boys in his neighborhood to fall in with a bad crowd. They drank and stayed out too late every night. And some were involved in gangs, because it seemed like the best way to stay safe on the dangerous city streets. Lucas knew deep down that this was a bad idea. He didn’t want to fall into that lifestyle. However, he began to question if he had any other choice. 

Fortunately, while researching options on the internet, Lucas found Mercy Home. He immediately knew that he wanted to take advantage of the opportunities it would provide for him to get his life back on track. Lucas moved in shortly after. 

Things at Mercy Home weren’t easy at first. Lucas wasn’t used to following a schedule every day. Once he re-enrolled in school, he had to get used to studying again. Sometimes it was hard for him to follow all the rules at Mercy Home. 

But after about a month of struggling, Lucas began adjusting to life at Mercy Home. He became more talkative during his individual and group therapy sessions. Soon, Lucas noticed a real difference in his life. While it still hurt him to think about his mother, he was able to talk out his feelings with his therapist and the other boys. He also was able to begin taking steps to improve his relationship with his grandmother. 

After working diligently with his tutor, Lucas’s grades also improved. He recently made the honor roll, and has begun considering something that seemed out of reach before—college. 

Thank you for giving Lucas a place where he has been able to grow, to heal, and to flourish. None of it would be possible without your prayerful support. 

Please note: Because we care deeply about protecting our children’s privacy, the names and certain identifying details in this story have been changed.