Hope Is Alive预览

"Hope Is Alive"

My hope sprang back to life when I got sober in April of 2011. The darkness that had engulfed me for years vanished. With each passing day, the promise of JER.29.11 became more and more of a reality. As I grew confident, my addiction grew weaker and weaker, and I began to see that, like that scripture promises, I ​did​ have a future. I have a purpose. My life ​matters.  I will never forget the feeling I had when I hit six months of sobriety. It was magical! I stared down at my phone, reading over and over the words “six months,” and my eyes got blurry and tears streamed down my face. I looked up at my mom who standing there with me and I told her, “I never in my wildest imagination thought I would ever see this day.”  

What a miracle! Life just kept getting better month by month. More peace, more hope, more love poured in. It was as if I was an empty pitcher and God was pouring in gallon after gallon of water. I was refreshed, restored, and ready to take on the world. And in a lot of ways, I did.  In my early sobriety, I went after things that would have left me in the fetal position during my addiction. Asking for meetings with bold leaders, taking on an impossible job, speaking in front of hundreds of people… writing a book! But with each step, God’s presence became stronger. He never left me and always proved himself faithful. Even when I was hurt and humiliated, God stayed with me. Even when I yelled and screamed at Him, ​Why?! Why?! Why?! 

​He patiently listened and responded with love. He never left me, never. Not once.  And that’s really the essence of my story. How my hope is alive today. No matter how hard I tried to pull my hand away from God’s grasp, He never let go.  Although my body was facing the other direction and covered in sin, He never let go.  When I took off running countless times to seek shelter from the reality I had perpetuated, He never stopped pursuing me.  When I blatantly went against His will over and over and over again, He never stopped loving me. So I know today: my hope can rest in the fact that ​God is for me​ . He loves me no matter what I have done. He will never leave me and that keeps my hope alive. The same holds true for you. God loves you. He’s never left, nor will He ever, no matter what your past looks like or how much baggage you have in your closet.  He’s seen everything we’ve ever done and still loves us just the same. Allow that promise to permeate your soul. God loves you… the addict. God is for you… the addict. God has a plan, a future and a HOPE for you. Yes you, the addict.