This is the story of how my life was transformed through faith-based recovery. I have struggled with addiction since I was 14 years old. In fact, I remember my 14th birthday and someone offering me a cigarette for the first time. From that moment on, I never stopped; instead, I just added drugs and alcohol. My life was a mess all through high school and it’s a miracle that I even graduated.
During my 20’s, I managed to get a decent job and stay out of trouble. I met a gal and we got pregnant, so I thought getting married would be the right thing to do. I slowed my addiction for a couple of years after my son was born, but his mother had addictions of her own, and soon we were destroying our lives together.
We divorced and I would get my son every weekend because my “ex” was a nurse and working every weekend. Within a short time, we both had lost our jobs because of the drug addiction, and for the sake of my son, I tried to get some help. I went to some AA meetings and even some church services, but I would quickly find something wrong with them so I had an excuse to quit.
It didn’t take long before I was just drunk every day, all day, and couldn’t pay any of my bills. If not for having my son, I know my parents would not have let me stay with them.
My father told me I had to get a job and not come home drunk. So I was driving to interviews and feeling at a very low point in my life. As I was driving to this job interview, I noticed a sign about addiction in front of a church. On the way home I was actually looking for a bar, but noticed the same church and that there were arrows pointing to another sign that said, “Addiction program tonight.” I pulled into the parking lot and decided to first look online to see what it was about. After I read about RU, I decided to just go ahead and walk in.
That Friday I was welcomed by some great people, and although I didn’t understand what was said in the Bible, I decided to accept their invitation to come back for the Sunday service. I could feel Jesus pulling on me. That week I even went to the Wednesday night service, desperately trying to fight my urges to drink. The next Friday night, it became so obvious that I needed Jesus and by the end of the 3rd Talk, I was ready to talk to the Pastor about salvation. I know deliverance doesn’t come to everyone, but since that day I have had no urges to drink again! All praise to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Since then, God has opened my mind to His Word. I am able to understand, study, and apply His message. I have learned that praying many times daily (meditating on the right things) helps me when my mind wanders somewhere it should not. The devil knows he can’t beat me with booze, so he continues to try with other evil things. I know that as I grow stronger in my relationship with Jesus, the less I am vulnerable to Satan…and that is the strongest desire of my life. My life has been transformed.
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4 Responses
My name is Dennis and I believe that I have a story or testimony. One that will bring hope in God and His Power for us and in us to who were once broken to be made new with God’s Love. I will share that with everyone. Thank You.
Please email your testimony to webru@reformu.com! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your testimony, God is good!
Hello ,Reed, it’s Amy Colley . I met you at a group at r u I just left juelet’s hope I haven’t gave up and I really need some spiritual guidance if nothing else , what more can a person need God is all we all need .But as you all know I’m alone in the sense of family or friends except for a good woman god placed in my path another earth angel like you ,I’m struggling, Reed, and I’m scared it sure would mean alot to hear from you. You can reach me at 513 289 4108 Thanks Amy