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Jesus stilled the storm in my heart

9:43pm Tuesday, 13th September 2011

Lea Carswell
In March 2011 Tina Gunter (nee Damasco) was inducted into the Western Australian International Women’s Day Hall of Fame. In a surreal moment, the former heroin addict found herself standing next to WA’s previous Premier, Dr. Carmen Lawrence, being recognised for her work with troubled women through Perth’s Esther Foundation. the group that helped Tina forge a new future. Tina and Dave have recently relocated to Melbourne to concentrate on their flourishing youth mentoring ministry, called I Roll With Dave.
At 25 I was very lost and lonely. I had been drug addicted for ten years, had been arrested on a serious charge and had already served time. I knew, “Something’s gotta change.”
After I was released on bail, the police took me to Perth train station for the last train of the night. I knew I had a choice; I could go back to my dealer, or I could head in the other direction to my parents’ house. I chose my parents. I believe that God helped me to Jesus stilled the storm in my heart turn the right way.
The very next day I went to the Fresh Start Recovery Clinic and asked Dr George O’Neil to pray for me. I had already visited his clinic to have a Naltrexone implant a few weeks before. (Naltrexone is a controversial treatment
for addictions.)
He prayed and I felt a peace come over me. I went to a Christian meeting that week with clinic staff. It was weird: they were singing songs and talking about Jesus. I thought, who’s this Jesus Christ? Through the chaplain at the clinic, Keith Hornung, my eyes were opened. There was no lightning
bolt but I saw that the Christians around me were gentle, peaceful and loving. They didn’t care about where I came from. That is what I wanted.
A mentor once told me, “Show me your friends and I will show you your future.”
She was absolutely right. Since I was 15 all of my friends had been doing the wrong thing, never really having any dreams or going anywhere. My “friends” made it seem normal to do the wrong thing. I didn’t have any ambitions for myself; I had no plans. I Iove Proverbs 29:18 which says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.”
Each week Keith sent me a sermon on tape from Subiaco Church of Christ. I had a really old tape player. To listen I had to keep my finger on the ‘play’ button the whole time. I started to read more of the Bible.
I was very conscious of the addiction-related psychosis that made each day like a wild thunderstorm in my mind.
But then I came across Philippians 4:7 which spoke of the peace that passes all understanding, and that will keep my heart and my mind through Jesus Christ. I began speaking the name of Jesus, starting with a whisper, especially when I was trying to quiet the noise in my head. I found that it brought peace and I could feel his presence with me through the Holy Spirit.
That is our Jesus, who calmed the storm when he was with the disciples, and the same Jesus who calmed the thunderstorm in my life.
Fresh Start sent me to further my recovery at a foundation which helps young women to overcome substance abuse and addictions. As soon as I got there, I felt like I was at home. I graduated from the program in June 2006.
In 2010 I went to Queensland to speak and met Dave Gunter, who was another speaker. Four months later we were married!
Over the last 8 years I’ve realised we all have the same kinds of emotional issues, but we find different outlets in trying to meet our needs.
I learned that, no matter what our situation, what we really need is to have God in our lives. Thank you Jesus!