I'm so excited! I have an update on my previous post "Prayer--It Works!" God is so good!
One of the young men has been attending church regularly since the beginning of July, and the other has hit some humbling road blocks which are grabbing his attention in a powerful way. He (the latter) will be the focus of my post today.
He, we'll call him "Joe," struggles with alcohol addiction. He was in a sober-living facility (and sober) for almost a full year before a rather serious relapse a few weeks ago. After his relapse, he mentioned to his mother that maybe he needs to be in a live-in rehab program instead of just a sober-living facility (the sober-living facility allows him to continue working full time). He had hesitated to do this because he did not want to quit his job.
I thought it very wise that he was beginning to understand that he needed something more than the sober-living facility could offer him. This fact, coupled with the statements that he made to my friend--that he might need personal counseling to beat this addiction and that he needs to get closer to God, really raised my hopes for his salvation and his future. Those have been my very specific prayers for him for some time now.
He has struggled with this addiction for several years, but I really feel this time that everything is coming together: he seems to be taking his addiction seriously for the first time (he's not making excuses for it or denying it anymore), and he is humbly accepting his limitations and his inability to beat this on his own. He also seems to have a strong desire (for the first time) to beat this addiction. I believe that the stable and secure lifestyle that the sober-living facility created for him caused him to see the depth of destruction that his addiction has caused in himself and his loved ones. For the first time, he could see his addiction (and its effects) from an outsider's perspective. In short, I believe that he is on the precipice of grabbing hold of and embracing a bright, God-centered future.
Because of his relapse, he has now (for the first time) been charged with a felony, and will go to state prison (or might already be there). Regardless, he IS in prison now. In June, when I found out that he wants to get closer to God and that he is open to the idea of personal counseling, I began to pray that the desire to get closer to God and the awareness of the need for personal counseling would grow in him. As I would pray, Teen Challenge kept coming to my mind. I know very little of Teen Challenge except it seems to work--these former addicts seem completely sold out to Christ. It's not just an emotional phase, it's a lifelong connection with God, a deep relationship that many seasoned Christians don't even have. When he went to prison (last week, I believe), I began to feel like I need to find out more about this program so I can tell him because it combines everything he has been talking about: a live-in facility and a closer connection to God (although he has no idea how close he will get to God!). I wasn't sure about the personal counseling part, but as God would have it, I saw two Teen Challenge women outside my grocery store a few days ago, so I was able to ask them several questions and they gave me a flyer. They definitely have personal counseling. So this place combines everything he has been seeking in one package.
I'm in awe of God--I have been praying (and I'm KNOW I'm not the only one who has been praying regularly) for him to reach this point. There has been NO SIGN of growth for several years, then ***poof*** within a couple of months there has been incredible change. Awe-inspiring. Mind-boggling. It gives me such hope for my own current struggles.
And guess what? It looks like I am going to get to visit him tomorrow in the prison. I'm scared. I know nothing of prison life, protocols for visitation, etc. But I believe that God wants me to speak into his life. I also plan to buy him a One-Year Bible and bring it to him. I feel very humbled that God has chosen me to speak into his life. We have never spoken to each other. We only know of each other through a mutual friend. It will be a little bit awkward, but I hope the Holy Spirit will make us comfortable with each other rather quickly, and that he will be able to receive all that God has for him tomorrow.
One of the young men has been attending church regularly since the beginning of July, and the other has hit some humbling road blocks which are grabbing his attention in a powerful way. He (the latter) will be the focus of my post today.
He, we'll call him "Joe," struggles with alcohol addiction. He was in a sober-living facility (and sober) for almost a full year before a rather serious relapse a few weeks ago. After his relapse, he mentioned to his mother that maybe he needs to be in a live-in rehab program instead of just a sober-living facility (the sober-living facility allows him to continue working full time). He had hesitated to do this because he did not want to quit his job.
I thought it very wise that he was beginning to understand that he needed something more than the sober-living facility could offer him. This fact, coupled with the statements that he made to my friend--that he might need personal counseling to beat this addiction and that he needs to get closer to God, really raised my hopes for his salvation and his future. Those have been my very specific prayers for him for some time now.
He has struggled with this addiction for several years, but I really feel this time that everything is coming together: he seems to be taking his addiction seriously for the first time (he's not making excuses for it or denying it anymore), and he is humbly accepting his limitations and his inability to beat this on his own. He also seems to have a strong desire (for the first time) to beat this addiction. I believe that the stable and secure lifestyle that the sober-living facility created for him caused him to see the depth of destruction that his addiction has caused in himself and his loved ones. For the first time, he could see his addiction (and its effects) from an outsider's perspective. In short, I believe that he is on the precipice of grabbing hold of and embracing a bright, God-centered future.
Because of his relapse, he has now (for the first time) been charged with a felony, and will go to state prison (or might already be there). Regardless, he IS in prison now. In June, when I found out that he wants to get closer to God and that he is open to the idea of personal counseling, I began to pray that the desire to get closer to God and the awareness of the need for personal counseling would grow in him. As I would pray, Teen Challenge kept coming to my mind. I know very little of Teen Challenge except it seems to work--these former addicts seem completely sold out to Christ. It's not just an emotional phase, it's a lifelong connection with God, a deep relationship that many seasoned Christians don't even have. When he went to prison (last week, I believe), I began to feel like I need to find out more about this program so I can tell him because it combines everything he has been talking about: a live-in facility and a closer connection to God (although he has no idea how close he will get to God!). I wasn't sure about the personal counseling part, but as God would have it, I saw two Teen Challenge women outside my grocery store a few days ago, so I was able to ask them several questions and they gave me a flyer. They definitely have personal counseling. So this place combines everything he has been seeking in one package.
I'm in awe of God--I have been praying (and I'm KNOW I'm not the only one who has been praying regularly) for him to reach this point. There has been NO SIGN of growth for several years, then ***poof*** within a couple of months there has been incredible change. Awe-inspiring. Mind-boggling. It gives me such hope for my own current struggles.
And guess what? It looks like I am going to get to visit him tomorrow in the prison. I'm scared. I know nothing of prison life, protocols for visitation, etc. But I believe that God wants me to speak into his life. I also plan to buy him a One-Year Bible and bring it to him. I feel very humbled that God has chosen me to speak into his life. We have never spoken to each other. We only know of each other through a mutual friend. It will be a little bit awkward, but I hope the Holy Spirit will make us comfortable with each other rather quickly, and that he will be able to receive all that God has for him tomorrow.
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