DC Walk 4 ReCovery

By Rev. Karen W. Curry

One of the moments on April 29, 2023, when God literally parted the clouds to allow the sun to shine through on a cloudy day. Note the bright spot between four clouds. Photo courtesy of Rev. Karen W. Curry.

The weather forecast for Saturday, April 29, 2023, was about as gloomy as it could get — cloudy, cold and rainy. In fact, the entire weekend was expected to be a washout — but God! DC Walk 4 ReCovery founder and organizer, Rhonda Johnson, refused to be deterred by the weather and stood firmly on her faith, reminding registrants that there was no rain date for Jesus’ crucifixion! She held a prayer meeting the night before the walk where the participants asked God to hold off the rain and part the clouds so the sun could shine through. And, God did exactly that!

God truly smiled on the DC Walk 4 ReCovery on the National Mall as hundreds of walkers, vendors and supporters gathered to share with the world what recovery looks like. The goal of the event was to bring awareness, education, hope and strategic solutions for persons in or needing recovery and to remind everyone that recovery extends beyond alcohol and drugs — recovery affects everyone, from those recovering from abuse, to those recovering from major health challenges and from depression. The most important message Johnson wants to communicate to those in or needing recovery is that they are not alone and help is available!

The event featured information and resources from several vendors from the District, Maryland and Virginia that provided hope and solutions for treatment, peer-topeer support and other resources. There were a variety of speakers, myself included as I was honored to share a poem I wrote in tribute to a young man who was in recovery.

The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church was asked to coordinate a ministry tent to provide prayer and spiritual support for those in attendance. We were thankful to be joined by CenterPoint Baptist Church, Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ and New Samaritan Baptist Church. Together, we provided a wide array of ministry and health information (including delicious healthy snacks) and prayed with participants, vendors and visitors from all over the world who were touring the National Mall. One of our Spanish-speaking members ministered to many people in Spanish, which was truly welcomed by those whose first language is not English.

It was truly a life-giving, festive occasion, topped off by an intergenerational celebratory line dance that epitomized the joy of recovery. Knowing that who the Son sets free is free indeed, we thank God for the opportunity to support those on their journey to freedom, and we look forward to serving again next year.