” The LORD says, I will give you back what you lost; and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these great miracles for you.” Joel 2:25-26

My life today is so different from what is was 6 years ago. I look back in amazement at how far my God has brought me. I know the changes that have taken place are all because of Him. I was nothing but a mess. I just kept running farther and farther away, not even realizing that God just kept right on chasing. Let me paint the picture for you….

I want to start by saying, I was raised in church. God has blessed me with parents who taught me right from wrong. They taught me about Jesus. They lived out their faith and honestly, made it look so easy. But I was having none of it. I started drinking and using drugs early on in life. In the beginning, it was just occasionally, something for fun. Satan is good at reeling you into sin that way. For the longest time, I thought I had complete control, this wasn’t addiction… that couldn’t happen to me. See how easy that lie takes hold?

After years of getting drunk or high or both, a lot of the time, I was waking up every morning, brushing my teeth and taking my first, of many, shots of vodka. I drank on my way to work, then took an adderall that I had bought illegally or stolen from someone I knew. I left on my lunch break and parked somewhere secluded and drank, went back to work to take another adderall. At the end of the day, I drank all the way home. This was the cycle I was in.

The first time I was arrested for a DUI. I had my glass of vodka in the cup holder and an open container rolling around in the floorboard to refill, when I came upon a road block. The police officer walked to my window and I know the smell of alcohol had to hit him in the face when I rolled it down. He asked me to get out of the car and gave me a breathalyzer, which I failed. I attempted to walk a straight line, also without success. Then I was carted off to jail. After 6 months in the court referral program on color code, you would think I had learned a lesson but you would be wrong. My drinking and drug use escalated and I was eventually arrested again, this time for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. Off to jail I went for a second time.

Not only was my life during this time consumed and controlled by my addiction, I was living a completely immoral lifestyle. My addiction made me selfish. The drugs and alcohol obliterated my moral compass. I said and did things that I would have never done if I had been clearheaded and sober minded. I pulled away from my family, my children. I lied and made up excuses because I didn’t want to be in places where I couldn’t drink or do drugs. I hopped from one “relationship” to another, if you can even call them relationships. I was a terrible person living a very sinful life.

But God…

He started dealing with me and I knew something was missing. I started going to church at Mountain View Baptist Church. One Sunday night after the service I went into our pastor’s study, talked with him and prayed asking God to save me. Right then and there, my life was changed. The Holy Spirit took up residence in my heart and began His work. Not only were all my sins forgiven, and believe me, it was a long, long list, but He changed me, all of me… He changed the way I talked, the way I dressed, the places I spent my time and who I spent time with. He started cleaning out all the mess, the things that would just get in the way of His plan for my life, and gave me new priorities, new hobbies. I have a peace and a joy like I have never experience before. The Bible says “He makes all things new”, and that is exactly what He has done. I am not the person I used to be, I am a new creation in Christ. When my Heavenly Father looks at me now, He doesn’t see the alcoholic or the drug addict, He sees that I am clothed in the righteousness of His Son. He sees that the blood of Jesus has covered my sins and He says, “Your are mine.” I am safe, I am free, I am whole. I know I am loved with an everlasting love by the God who knows me inside and out. And there is nothing I can ever do to make Him stop loving me.

So what about all those years I wasted? The 40 years before I gave my life to God? I was talking with my pastor one day, telling him I felt like I had wasted so many years doing all the wrong things and how I wish I could go back and do things differently. Don’t we all wish that sometimes? Brother Sammy quoted me the scripture above from the book of Joel. I can’t go back and undo what’s been done, we are not given that luxury. But God is so good, He can take even those ugly things, the ashes in our life, and make something beautiful from it. There is nothing He can’t use, He doesn’t waste anything. He will take my testimony of what He has done and use it to draw others to Christ and to glorify Himself. I am not responsible for any of this, my God has done it all. He saved me. He changed me. He is still at work in and through me. I know I’m not the only one out there with a past like this. Maybe this isn’t your past, but instead it’s your present. I won’t you to know it’s not where you have to stay. There is hope, there is a way out of the mess and that hope, that way is JESUS CHRIST. Call out to Him, confess that you’re a sinner, ask Him to save and turn from your sins. He will rescue you. Surrender your life to Him and He will set you free. He is so completely able to break whatever chains are binding you. Be saved today and see what beauty He can bring from your ashes.

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5