“I felt as if my chains were broken, and I was set free.”
When William’s mom died from a heroin overdose, his life spiraled out of control. Alcohol and drugs became his coping mechanisms as he acted out in high school due to the grief of her absence. But little did he know that this was only the beginning of his struggles.
William abused marijuana and alcohol for over 25 years, eventually leading him to a dangerous home invasion situation. William ended up in the ICU with a 30% chance of being able to walk because he was shot through both legs. He refused to give up. It took him a year to learn to walk again. But William continued abusing alcohol on top of the opiates he was prescribed for the pain. It became a new addiction. This led him down an even darker path, getting him introduced to heroin and fentanyl after the doctor stopped prescribing opiates because the alternative was more accessible.
“I was a functioning addict.” William didn’t think anyone noticed that he was abusing drugs until, to his surprise, his boss asked to speak with him and offered him the opportunity to get sober. William didn’t lose his job. He thought he would go to detox and then return to work. But God had other plans. William went to Cornerstone for detox, then was offered a 30-day program. But he was hesitant because he knew he needed money to pay his car and other bills.
Yet, William would soon learn that his car was repossessed.
“God was telling me I should go on.”
It would happen over and over where he would run into another person recommending another program, and the doors would be wide open, making it easy. He was six months into his sobriety and had become a peer support specialist when, one day, another friend recommended he join the recovery program at Gospel Rescue Mission. He prayed about it, quit his job, and took a leap of faith.
William added, “it started with 30 days, and now I’m over 500.”
Getting sober allowed William’s relationship with God to grow. William wants to finish his program and help others heal and move forward. It is important for him to show others that it is possible to overcome any challenge – no matter how dark the path may seem. He wants to be a recovery coach to bring hope and transformation to others.
This #TestimonyTuesday, we thank God for opening doors!