Mike’s Cocaine Recovery Story

My name is Mike. I am the fourth child out of five. I grew up in Franklin in a hundred and fifty year old farmhouse on five acres of land.

My mother was a loving brutally honest and caring woman. My father was a police officer for Milwaukee County, a mason, a tyrant, and a pedophile. When he wasn’t leaving welts on us kids with a belt, he was sexually molesting not only me, but one of my sisters as well. Since age six to age seventeen I endured this life.

The world outside saw him as someone they called upon for protection and advice. Everyone felt so safe knowing he was around, that was the irony in it, for his own family was scarred and trembled in his presence.

My Father

By age fifteen my father took me to a bar where he was a bouncer on the weekends, usually accompanied by his lover of seventeen years of age. Once I remember a huge mistake and regret in my life, when I called him “Dad” in front of his friends. He turned around so fast and with a look of sure hatred in his eyes and the coldness of his tongue said, “You call me Ken when we are out!” It was at these places he would set me up with old guys that would take me home with them to have some fun. Even through all of this, I still loved my Dad and would think by doing this I was showing him how much I loved him. I knew just how much it pleased him and with his intimidation I knew none else.

I eventually got the nerve and finally out of sheer exhaustion, told my mother. She brought it up in the divorce; he denied it of course and said I was in need of counseling. We would have to see him during visitation of course and on one particular day he picked me up and started down the drive when all of a sudden he stopped the car said, “Get out”! I cried so hard and asked why, he would just say, “You told”, he then shoved me out of the car and drove off.

Later in life I called my father curious and wanting some answers. I asked “Was it considered suspicious for a police man in 1960 not to be married?” He replied, “Yes”. Then I asked, “Was mom and us kids nothing to you than a prop you could use for your cover up?” He calmly replied, “Yes.” From then on I never talked to him again, though others would tell me of his moving to Lake Geneva, and living in a trailer just a half a mile from a middle school and how he’d have boys over from time to time. For nineteen years he lived there and God only knows how many a kids he has affected during that time. In May of 1993 he put an end to his misery by shooting himself in the chest with a rifle.

The Day I Got Saved

One day I went to the Milwaukee Arena to see an evangelist that was having a crusade. I saw him on TV once and thought, why not go. At the end the Preacher asked those who weren’t saved to come forward and accept Christ, then played the song, “There’s room at the cross for you.” I stood in front and sobbed and cried out to God to accept me, and I got saved.

My Mom Got Saved

I was twenty three and determined to see my cancer reddened mother get saved. I saw her to the Lord shortly before she died on August 21st, of 1985. By 1986 I was living alone and depressed and started to drink and do drugs and succeeded at becoming a social drinker and a recreational drug user. I contemplated suicide, walking very slowly out into the street knowing a car was coming. The car swerved and missed and I was so angry at that.

My Backsliding

With my mom gone I became so depressed I backslide from God and sinned much worse than before. (As a dog returneth to its own vomit, so doth a foolish man returneth to his folly.) More drinking, more partying, more whore mongering was my daily life now.

In August of 2005, I was unemployed and on my way to visit my sister and noticed that I always passed by this church on the way. I was up to four packs of cigarettes a day and when I saw a sign for ‘RU Addictions Program’ I wondered if they could help me. I entered the church to find two men in ties greeting me, while hearing some awesome preaching coming from behind some doors. The Lord had been pulling at me to come back for a long time and I guess I was through fighting him and said, “Ok.” I then attended the RU class that Friday and liked it a lot!

The people really cared about me! I went to church in flip flops and shorts; I wasn’t going to wear a tie I thought. However God is in the transformation business! Since September 13th of 2005, I haven’t had a single cigarette, no cravings for it or desires. This is truly a miracle from God. God has truly changed my life in so many ways; I know he loves me so much. He loves me so much that he sent his son to die for my sins. Now I, Mike, can come to him any day for help and enter into his ever loving arms.

I now have the privilege in attending the answer to a prayer, Faith Baptist Church, and RU Recovery Program! What a tremendous blessing that God has given me.