How a local radio show has people talking about what people don’t talk about.
The radio news ends, and Christian recording artist Toby Mac’s “Speak Life,” breaks in. It’s 9am, Saturday morning in the Lewes, DE studios of The Talk of DelMarva, and a live call-in program has people talking about things people just don’t talk about.
“Speak Life” fades, as the show begins, “Welcome to Victory in Recovery! I’m Andrea, (first-names-only is traditional in the recovery community), and I’m the Director of Christian Grace Sober Living, where we provide safe, affordable transitional housing for people active in their recovery.”
There’s far more to the company, but the hour-long show isn’t on-air and streaming across the globe to fill beds; it’s broadcast live to promote a larger discussion about addiction and recovery; topics that are spoken about in private, but only grieved about publicly.
Andrea pre-introduces the show’s studio guest and hands over to David Forman, the company’s founder, who begins with a hard truth.
“You, and probably everyone you know, knows somebody struggling with alcohol or drugs. If you think you don’t, you’re wrong.”
He continues with the bad news that family members can do almost nothing to help an addict to the first step, “Admitting we are powerless over our addiction,” and concedes that addiction is almost always far worse for the family of an addict, than on the addict him-or-herself. For those who’ve been there, there is so much hopelesness its hard to even imagine what hope feels like anymore.
After this, the show’s tone changes. A communal shared dispair turns optimistic
From deep personal experience and work providing transitional sober living spaces to hundreds of people, Andrea and David created the “Victory in Recovery,” program to encourage listeners and provide hope.
The hosts explain that sharing recovery success stories is what helps people get sober, and sharing each others’ struggles is what keeps them clean.
“Hope starts from hearing. Recovery starts with hope,” Andrea begins.
The listening audience is invited to call with questions and comments, and share hope derived from their own recovery; and a guest from one of many community addiction resources is introduced.
And then God takes over.
“Not in the sense that we would claim our words are from him, although we can hope, it’s more about the miracles of who will hear something at just the right time.” Andrea says.
“Recovering addicts sharing recovery stories is what speaks life into the hopeless. Where else are they going to hear that its possible?”
Victory in Recovery’s” musical intro, “Speak Life,” was chosen for this same reason. The song’s artist explains he’s referring to our ability to either speak life to, or drain life from, everyone we meet. It costs us nothing to be kind, and you don’t need to be in your own best space to do so. Toby Mac lost his son to an overdose.
“Our goal is to share our stories and encourage others to share their stories, knowing that doing so saves lives,” said David.
In a nation where every media report is about the problem, for one hour on Saturdays, people talk about solutions. The show’s format runs with a single break, promoting a more conversational discussion, like a podcast that takes live calls.
Victory in Recovery airs on WUSX 98.5 FM, and can be heard streaming at http://wusx.stream/ or click here for the TalkofDelmarva. Please call in live to the studio at (302) 945-9292 with your questions, Saturday’s from 9-10AM.
For information about sober living housing, visit Christian-grace.com
