The last two years have
been an amazing journey. When the Lord first entered my life, I must
admit I was taken by surprise. My encounter with God was SO POWERFUL,
SO GLORIOUS, SO "out of this world" that I found
myself having trouble explaining it to others. I had trouble trying to
make sense of it myself but I have learned that God defies logic! He is
so powerful, so loving and such a mystery. His love is beyond anything I
have ever experienced. I am brand new in so many ways and that's why I
felt I needed to add to my testimony.
One of the things I
shared with David throughout our early correspondence was my suspicion
that God was capable of healing me from my addiction to alcohol. I had
been such a heavy drinker from an early age that, eventually, I became
addicted and by the time I was 24, I was drinking against my will. No
matter how many times I promised others or myself that this was "the
last drink," it never was. As they say in 12-step groups, "Alcohol is
cunning, baffling and powerful." And my illness sure baffled me! I
tried everything to remedy this affliction; support groups, medicines,
professionals, books etc. After all that failed, exhausted, I wearily
came to the conclusion that I could never rid myself of this malady. I
was destined to remain chained to the bottle for the rest of my life. I
simply, "gave up." What a horrible feeling of defeat and
discouragement! However, there remained a memory in the back of my mind
of a hand-full of sober people I met on my "recovery journey" that
assured me that God had taken their desire to drink from them.
I knew, deep down, that
somehow this was my answer too. I tossed the idea around with David,
who amazed me in his confidence of God's healing power. He expressed
that God could heal, would heal and wanted to heal me. I must admit I
had mixed feelings about that, but I certainly wanted to believe it.
I am so overjoyed to
share with you that Jesus Christ has indeed broken me free from my
24-year addiction to alcohol! Praise the Lord! When God poured His love
and mercy down upon me He broke that mighty chain, that "slavery" to the
bottle! It occurred with absolutely no effort on my part and it happened
very early in my experience. In hindsight, I believe it occurred the
moment He poured His spirit down upon me. This is a precious GIFT God
has given to me and it is truly a miracle.
There are no words
sufficient enough to express my deep gratitude for His loving act of
kindness. Not only did He give me the gift of eternal salvation and His
precious friendship and care, but removed a life-long illness and set me
free!
Matthew 8:17 "...He
took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
When I observed
"born-again Christians" before my own salvation, I thought to myself, "I
bet these people have NO FUN - they must lead terribly boring lives!"
After all, I thrived on fun, excitement, and performing with rock bands
that partied all night long, being reckless and crazy. For a time that
lifestyle did bring some excitement and a form of happiness, however, in
the end, it all proved to be false. Now I experience joy in a way I
never dreamed possible. I have joy even in difficult times, even in the
mundane and routine of everyday life. I have learned that a life in
Christ IS NOT boring, but exciting! Every time I turn a corner He has
something interesting up His sleeve and I often feel like a child again,
filled with innocence and wonder J.
I also thought I could
never hold up to living a "good, clean, Christian" lifestyle. That Bible
had too many rules! You mean I can't have sex outside of marriage? I
can’t lie, steal, cheat, divorce, etc. Good grief, it’s the 90's! Those
Biblical rules need to be updated and modernized! They must reflect the
times! Abiding in those rules is impossible. I’m only human after all.
However, I noticed that God gently removed my "taste" for sin and it
appears to be a continual work. It has become evident to me that
remaining obedient to Him comes with great rewards. Once again, this
change is something He did in me. It takes very little effort on my
part. It is amazing!
So as you can see, the
last two years have truly been a wondrous journey. He has filled me
with hope, begun restoration, given me new dreams and has changed my
life drastically. I feel He has breathed LIFE in to me. I am a better
parent, daughter, friend, etc. I have much to rejoice over.
David has become a
treasured friend and brother. He has taught me so much and I thank God
for our friendship. I am blessed to know him. If God can turn David
around, He can do it for anyone!
In closing, I sit in
amazement at how greatly the Lord has touched my life. He has even
allowed me to share my story on this website which I know reaches a lot
of people. I am very grateful and I urge you to seek Him as well, for a
life in Christ is not lacking, or boring, or difficult. His yoke is easy
and His peace truly DOES transcend all understanding. I once doubted His
reality, but now I know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is real!
Let Him do great things in your life too!
Thank you for reading.
With Love and hope in
Christ,
Tracy