WASN’T HOOKED ON SMACK, CRACK, JACK, WEED or SPEED, but in DIRE NEED!!
One Friday night a little over 5 years ago I came walking into an RU Recovery Program on a Friday night. Of course, I wasn’t there because I was an addict. I had nothing wrong with me, you could just ask me. No syringe in my front right pocket, no pipe in my front left and no bottle of booze in my rear pocket. As a matter of fact, I had given up drinking about 2 years earlier as it was a problem in my life. I was there because my relationship was rocky and I was doing/feeling ways that I shouldn’t.
So after checking out some YouTube videos and testimonies, I gave it a try. Of course, I came in late, I didn’t want to be associated with “these” people. You may ask who “these” people were. Well, they were the Bible thumping church goers and the strung out drug addicts and drunks. See, I couldn’t stand drunks and addicts. I had to deal with too many in my professional life and alcoholism and drugs had touched my personal/family life as well. So I snuck in there and sat in the very last row. About 15 seconds into the first Principle video, I said: “I’m coming back”.
About 3 weeks later, October 15, 2011, I made a personal decision to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. BOOM! There was immediate change! I know, I was rolling my eyes about these testimonies 6 years ago, but it happened. I lost my sailors tongue immediately. And yes, I was a sailor for 10 years. Next, He showed me bitterness against loved ones and friends I had, then anger and my wandering lustful eyes. About a year in, He took my can a day of Copenhagen away from me after 27 years of trying to quit. I was simply amazed at God’s goodness.
Here’s the kicker. He kept throwing addicts and drunks at me all over the place. He even put me in a position to lead a group. I struggled with loving an addict, but He kept testing me until my heart was broken for addicts and addictions and I started showing them, love. I finally surrendered completely to ministering to addicts in the RU Recovery Program. I am now an assistant director of a local chapter and devote my ministry and free time to helping the hopeless and showing them hope from their bondage. It can be both heartbreaking, and rewarding. I know this when an addict is ready, we are here to show them that “Only the Truth Makes Free”.
See you don’t have to be a junkie to need recovery. Our program is a faith-based behavioral modification program. The goal isn’t to clean up an addict from the outside, but to clean up the heart from the inside. When the heart changes, the outside/behavior will follow.
He continues to work on other issues that are not pleasing to Him by discipling me through the RU Recovery Program. For this I am grateful.
5yrs Recovering from Tobacco, alcohol, anger, bitterness, pride, lust, hate and continuing to change.
Because of Him,
Nick
