St. James Storytelling – February 2025
A Story of Gratitude: Thank you Gettysburg C.A.R.E.S. and St. James, by Paige Betch
Hello friends! You may have seen me these past few months here at church, but the truth is St. James has been a big part of my life for several years. I was recently asked to tell a little bit of my story and share just how much this church has made a difference in my life, and I am honored to share it with all of you!
I will start at the beginning… in 2017 I was in a horrible car accident. I was riding in the front seat of a car with my feet on the dashboard, the music was loud, the windows were down, the air fresh on my face, and life was good. Then all of a sudden it wasn’t. I don’t remember the car going off the road, I only remember waking up after the crash. I was trapped inside the car until the paramedics came and pulled me out. When I got to the hospital, I had many bruises and broken bones as well as a shattered ankle. After months of surgeries and physical therapy the doctors told me they were out of options. My ankle was just not healing and amputation was the only solution. Now I have wrestled the demons of addiction on and off since I was 18, and during this time of my life I turned to the only thing I knew to ease the pain. I began using again and I spiraled fast. It didn’t take long until I was incarcerated at the Adams County prison. I had lost more than my foot. I lost everything.
Eight months later it was finally time to be released but where would I go? My family was sick of my shenanigans, I had no friends to speak of, and I had no place to call home. I was tired and broken and all alone. It was only my faith in God that gave me the strength to fight each day. I clung onto this tiny feeling of hope and somewhere deep inside I knew that God had a plan for me. And sure enough -my prayers had been answered! I found a place at CARES. They didn’t see a drug addict or a criminal or a cripple. They saw me as someone who deserved to be loved, healed and forgiven. And they gave me something I hadn’t had in a long time, a home.
I was incarcerated just two weeks after the amputation stitches were removed, so when I got to the prison I was immediately placed in a wheelchair and I sat there for eight months, literally. When I was released, I was given only a pair of crutches and sent on my way. But while I was at C.A.R.E.S. they made sure I got to my medical appointments and that I was getting the care that I needed. Getting around on crutches in the winter time is not an easy task and my struggle didn’t go unnoticed. One day, after breakfast, I walked into the house and there was a surprise for me. There sat a HUGE box for me to open and inside that box was a knee scooter! No more frozen hands and sore arms from the crutches. This was a gift I’ll never forget, and within minutes I was zooming all around Gettysburg!
It was C.A.R.E.S. who gave me a home, a chance, and held me up when I was weak. I was clothed and fed and more than that, I was cared about. Maybe that’s why they call it C.A.R.E.S.. Because when you feel tired and broken and have nowhere to turn, there IS someone who CARES. Today I am still residing at the same apartment I moved into when I left C.A.R.E.S., 6 years later. And because C.A.R.E.S. made sure I received the medical care that I needed, today I am WALKING!
The blessings just keep coming…. not only do I have a home, but I have remained sober for the past 5 years. My parents have forgiven me and visit me often, and my daughter has forgiven me and our bond now is stronger than ever! She has also blessed me with 2 grandkids who light up when they see me and the only “Gigi” they’ll know is the person I am today. I have a good man in my life who takes care of me, prays with me, and he’s my biggest cheerleader! And with C.A.R.E.S. and St. James working together, I was introduced to several members of the congregation who prayed with me and cared for me, and I just knew that I would be welcomed in church. I started coming to the services here at St. James because I felt that expressing my gratitude through prayer was just not enough.
I wanted to TRULY thank God and PRAISE him for all he has given me. I knew immediately after the first service I attended here at St. James that I was “home.” I am welcomed here despite my tattoos and the bad decisions of my past; I am welcomed here because just like you, I am a child of God.
It is because of all the love and opportunities that C.A.R.E.S. and St. James have given me that I am here today, worshipping along-side you every Sunday. I love my life more now than I ever have and it all began the day I was welcomed into C.A.R.E.S. I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you. And even as I say those words I know they just cannot capture how TRULY THANKFUL I am to you, to all of you. With that little bit of hope I carried through the trenches, I never would have imagined this beautiful life I have now. And it all began when I walked into that little yellow house, when I came to C.A.R.E.S. with nothing but my crutches….