Wheeler Mission's Blog

Did you make some New Year’s Resolutions seven weeks ago? I did, but I haven’t begun my exercise regimen yet. After all, it’s only been seven weeks!

I heard one of our recent addiction recovery program graduates say “changing your life is tough.” He is right. A little more than two years ago, this young man was lost (his own words) and now he says everything looks new to him. Through some very difficult months, he worked to develop a new way of thinking, and a new way of living that would bring him to a clean and sober lifestyle. Now, everything feels new and tastes new. He is experiencing new life.

His resolution is now to “pay attention to what is happening in his daily life.” It’s not just a New Year’s Resolution, it’s a daily resolution. I am so encouraged with his progress.

And now, I’m back to thinking about my exercise regimen!

Rick

That’s how he describes his years as an addict. He started using drugs in his teens and continued long into his adult years. He tried several programs to get clean, but would never stay long enough to make progress. Drugs had such a strong pull on him that he felt being a user was the only life he would ever know. His family had given up on him. When his wife describes those 25 years, she says simply, “I was done.” Over and over again he chose his drugs over his wife, children, home, or job.

When he stepped into Wheeler Mission, he knew that he “had to stop the craziness.” That was a little more than a year ago. He entered the Hebron Addiction Recovery Program. It was the hardest thing he has ever done, but like he says now, “if it’s easy, it ain’t worth doing. If it’s hard, that means it’s going to be good. Now, for the first time in my life, I know I have a future. The craziness has stopped.” He has reconciled with his family and now enjoys being a husband, father, and grandfather.

God still works miracles in even the hardest of hearts!

Rick

My wife received “one of those phone calls” recently. She learned that someone she grew up with had died. Her friend had been a beauty queen in high school, and was very popular. She came from a loving family and was active in all sorts of pursuits. But something happened to her when she was in her twenties that came to be the story of her life.

She started drinking socially, and as adulthood brought more and more stress, she turned more and more to alcohol to find relief from the burdens of life. She became an alcoholic and while she tried many times to quit – she always returned to her bottle. It took a toll on her body, and by the time she was 60, her liver simply quit working and she passed away.

It’s a sad story for sure. But it also spurs me on to pursue reaching out to those with addictions. They don’t have to be another statistic, like my wife’s friend. Through hard work, they can turn their lives around – there is hope through Jesus Christ.


Rick