While living in Tucson, a neighborhood boy had become an alcoholic and drug user. From time to time we would pray for his recovery, but I must confess that I pretty much gave up on him. Numerous times, he would either voluntarily or involuntarily enter a drug treatment facility. And each time, he would come out and eventually fall back into his addiction.
The other day, Sonya and I received a letter from him. In part, it read as follows – “Hope you are doing well. From what I hear, you guys are doing well. Hearing that always makes me happy. Things are going well for me. I have been so blessed + fortunate in the last couple of years. God is good + I thank Him for all the positive things that happened to me. I have been clean and sober since September 4,’16. 28 months now. Pretty cool huh? Prior to that, there was a lot of trial and error.”
As the letter went on, he said, “I got involved w/an organization that got me into a 90 day residential treatment center. I still wasn’t convinced I wanted to quit drinking. I stuck with it though. Upon completion of the program I had absolutely nowhere to go. To live. On the very last day a counselor found a place for me to go. I wasn’t thrilled, I wanted independent living. I had a lot of anger, anxiety, worry, stress, you name it. Anyway this transitional home was bible based. Well, I had never really even picked up a bible. We went to church + had bible study. AA, etc. at the house where I was living w/eight people, all guys. The more I started learning a little more about the bible + I started to get more + more curious. It was pretty cool. I was also allowed to go to outside AA meetings. Between both AA, church, + hanging around sober people, my life took a complete 180 degree turn around. This time, the last time, I did it for myself, not just to appease others.”
He finished his letter by saying, “We (he and his girlfriend) are so blessed + fortunate. God has really been great to me. God is Good! I got my family back (Yea!) and no-one is mad at me anymore. It feels so great.”
A lesson learned – never, ever give up on someone – God doesn’t!
