- Faith
- Friends & Family
- Mental Health
Submitted by: Susan Beckett
Jack has been on his journey for many years off and on, but his latest walk has been over the past 15 years. He credits his greatest change in life on the relationship he has with God. This occurred when he was told, “You are a child of God.” Once told this, he felt his life had changed forever. Suddenly he experienced an acceptance of love and peace like he had never felt. He knew he wanted to share these feelings and this message.
He was fortunate to have his personal relationship with God, when after a relapse, he had an altercation with his spouse and as a result was incarcerated. Fortunately, he was only in jail a short time, however it was enough time to realize that he needed to change. For the first time, he was fearful of losing his wife and family. As he sat alone in jail, awaiting his fate, he vowed he never wanted to approach another human being in a physically aggressive manner, especially his wife. He also realized he was tired of apologizing for his actions, and he was tired of his shame. Most of all, he didn’t want to lose his family. He was afraid he was on the verge of losing it all.
Though Jack had not had an ideal childhood (his father drank heavily and his mother was somewhat physically abusive), he never complained and loved them for who they were, flaws and all. However, he knew this exposure had some influence on who he had become. So now, as a child of God, he had been informed, all things are possible, and that is what he held onto as he stepped forward on this new road to recovery.
As time passed, his family began accepting his change, and came to rely on him. He knew he had gained moral authority when his family started coming to him for advice. These were the changes that only occurred through trusting and having faith in God. Today, he values his marriage and his family above any worldly treasure. While his biggest battle is fighting off insecurities, he has learned to allow his feelings to be dictated by his intellect and not by his emotions alone.
If he could give advice to someone who is starting out on their road to recovery, it would be, “You don’t have to do it all at once, take it one step at a time. And, you don’t have to do it alone.”