I couldn’t keep living life the way that I was. I knew that there had to be another way, but it was so hard to see with addiction staring me down, day in and day out.
As a child, I never would’ve thought my future held a crippling meth addiction.
I also couldn’t have guessed that Jesus would be the one to save me, either.
I found out in my teen years just how hard it is to stay strong with a hurting heart. My heartache did not subside for many years. My grandmother’s passing led me down a darker road than I could’ve thought possible.
Looking back now, I see that God had His hands on me throughout it all. Despite my confusion and misunderstandings, He was there throughout all the time. It took years of trying to do “better” and repeatedly failing before I finally desired that relationship with Jesus Christ for myself.
Through the rehab stays and pain, I was left with nothing but an aching, empty heart. The only thing left in the line of my sight was the light of Jesus Christ. I sat my will to the side and dug into my Bible. Through scripture, I learned the truth of life and God. Matthew 16:25 pulled me through, and changed it all for me. I truly experienced a death of the old me, in every way possible.
Waking up in the mornings and looking myself in the mirror is no longer painful to me.
I now spend my days ministering to others, mentoring other men in a Christ-based recovery program called the Exodus House that I oversee entirely. Our goal is to help former addicts find their worth in God’s eyes and not through the eyes of others. Our mission is to guide men into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to return them to society as productive citizens, reclaimed and filled with hope and purpose.
I couldn’t do any of it myself though; I had to let God work in my life to get me here. I give all of the glory to Him. I have a beautiful family, an amazing support system, and a genuine purpose that I finally understand in this life.
Because of Jesus, I know love. And because I know love, I will do my best to always make sure those around me know His love, too.
No Comments