When an individual is truly trapped in addiction, and the cycle of abuse can be measured not in months, and not in years, but in decades, it can be hard to imagine ever finding a way out. We become so entrenched in our behaviors that the idea of change becomes not just frightening, but impossible.
True transformation comes when we recognize that this defeatism is a lie, and that the opportunity for change is always there for us should we choose to embrace it. It may take a teardown of everything that we knew before, and it almost certainly won't be easy, but hope for the future and trust in God's promise of salvation is more than enough to keep us moving forward. It's also why we celebrate this change every Transformation Tuesday! This week we're celebrating the transformation in the life of Bethany, OK Graduate Dean Slopey.
Dean's story begins at the age of 15, when he tried alcohol for the first time and realized that he liked it a bit more than the rest of the friends that he was drinking with. There was no traumatic event or great life upheaval that inspired him to begin drinking, it was simply something he did to pass the time; but over the course of the next 50 years it would grow from a pastime into an obsession.
Before coming to Hope Center Dean had a great job in an oilfield company that he helped build; but following the owner selling the business, over time he felt his passion for success begin to wane. He'd always been a drinker, but the loss of the commitment and drive he had to succeed in the workplace began a spiral in Dean's life. He began drinking more heavily, relying on alcohol to fill the void in his life that used to be occupied by purposefulness and meaning through work.
With the exception of a single DUI charge he largely managed to avoid any legal repercussions for his drinking, but the repercussions in his personal life would soon prove enormous. He eventually lost his job, and was on the brink of losing his home, when he finally turned to his family and asked for help. His daughter Paige was willing to offer this help to him, with one catch — she wanted him to get better this time: she wanted him to come to Hope Center Ministries.
Dean accepted, and found his way to the Bethany, Oklahoma Hope Center on September, 11th 2023. He found it hard to imagine sticking it out for an entire year, but following a conversation with fellow Hope Center graduate Van Brooks (who we've featured in a previous Transformation Tuesday post!), it finally began to click for him. "This isn't about a year of your life," Van told him, "it's about the rest of it."
Following this fateful conversation Dean found a new commitment to his program, and quickly became a Community Leader in the Bethany Center. He continued this service as a First Phase Leader, and it was around this time that he began to notice a change within himself. Where he'd first been looking forward to getting out of the program and continuing his life outside of Hope Center, it now became hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere else. He had made a massive change in his life by accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and had found something he'd never expected by way of serving the men of the Bethany Center: he'd found a calling.
Dean graduated from the Bethany Center on September 11th, 2024, one year to the day that he entered, and joined the Hope Center Year 2 program, where he now serves as an intern supporting our Call Center team. Each and every day he helps individuals who are at their breaking point enter into our recovery program, and is able to offer them the same chance at recovery that he was once given, and he plans to continue doing so on into a bright future with our Ministry.
Dean is an understated guy, and when asked what he'd tell someone looking to enter a program with Hope Center, he simply says that he can tell them "how not to live your life". But the truth is that Dean is an amazing role model for the men of our Bethany Center and beyond, and we couldn't be more proud to have him serving on our team. We're glad that you're here, and we're grateful that you found your way home.
Thank you Dean for all that you do, and to all, a very happy Transformation Tuesday!