My dad was a cop and I lost my mom to breast cancer. I had one younger brother who shot himself at a relatively young age. My brother and I had gotten involved in drugs and alcohol while we were teenagers despite my dad’s efforts to keep us away from it.

After my dad remarried, I was sent to live with my Me-Maw because of my antics. i did not like my Dad’s new wife and was doing everything to drive her away. My Me-Maw spoiled me to no end. She was a Christian and a very hard worker. Although she didn’t agree with me smoking cigarettes, she would buy them fro me on occasion. She encouraged me to do right, but let me do whatever I wanted to do without pushing me too much. My Me-Maw saw something good in me and had faith that I would be alright once I straightened up my act.

My family didn’t care much that I drank, but the amount of alcohol I was consuming was becoming a problem. Everything began to spiral out of control and I spent the last part of my addiction years in total isolation. I was still trying to do things my own way.  I almost died in a motel due to overdose, but they were able to revive me. After a 3 weeks stay in the hospital I decided I needed to become sober. So taking the doctor’s recommendation I went to a rehab facility in Louisiana. I decided to stay in Baton Rouge because the program was working for me. I finished the 12 step program and decided to run my own sober living house in order to “pass it forward” the last step of the program.

I met a preacher, a tall Lumbee Indian, who preached a small church. He had been a Marine and used to struggle with drug and alcohol problems before he’d surrendered his life to the Lord. This man gave me hope that I could change. I began to attend his church quite regularly with my mom and had a lifelong friendship with the preacher.

Even though I had done so much wrong in my life, I know Jesus had another purpose for me. I knew that it was God all along who had spared my life, but I never could figure out why. Now, I know that He just had a different plan for my life. Today, I’m very grateful and truly blessed!

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