A Mother’s Journey Through Grief and Addiction

A Mother’s Journey Through Grief and Addiction

God has transformed my thinking to “be in agreement with Me,” a phrase I heard so clearly the day I had to give my sweet girl back to Him.

My name is Rhonda Kemp. I lost my daughter, Lacy, at the age of 30 when she passed away from an opioid overdose. My world stopped. Now, it’s forever changed.

The day Lacy was born, she not only helped free me from a bad relationship, but being her mom gave me such a profound love in my heart, a love that I had never experienced before. When she was placed in my arms, I knew I would give her everything within my power to ensure her happiness and safety in this life.

My biggest fear was losing her, as is the biggest fear of many parents entrusted with the care of an amazing child from God. I always thought if I kept her around the right people, in good schools, loved her with all my heart, and kept her in church, then she would grow up with all the tools that she needed to navigate through this world. She was protected from seeing anyone use alcohol or drugs in our home, but after two knee surgeries at the age of 17, she was introduced to opioids.

Several years after those surgeries, she and a new set of friends began to party. That was when she began to abuse opioids. Her struggle with addiction began and lasted between seven and eight years.

After a very painful weekend trying to pass a large kidney stone, Lacy overused opioids along with a sleeping aid called Klonopin, and God called her home. Outside her apartment that same day, I heard God say to me, “Be in agreement with Me.” God spoke those words to me then, and I hold them in my heart and mind to move forward.

Lacy brought life and laughter to everyone she met, and she left us with so many unforgettable memories of how special she was. Although her absence from our family has been devastating, I am forever grateful that I was blessed to be her mom for 30 years.

Finding Hope After Loss

About four years ago, God introduced me to Hope is Alive Ministries. Through Hope is Alive, I have the opportunity to volunteer with residents in recovery, lead a Finding Hope support group for those who love someone in addiction, and lead a Hope After Loss grief support group for those who have lost someone to addiction. The support and love I have found in Hope After Loss has been life-altering. Through Hope After Loss, members always have someone to talk to and lean on through their grief journey.

I have a purpose now, and that is to be there for others, just as my daughter would have been if she had found a way to sobriety. God has taken my pain and used it for something good. His ways are always the best ways, as it says in Isiah 55:8–9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

If you have not joined Hope After Loss, I encourage you to attend a meeting this month. By walking through grief together in the light of God’s Word, we can begin to find strength, purpose, peace, and HOPE in the midst of our circumstances. 

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With hope,

Rhonda Kemp, Laci’s Mom