He cleaned the dust and grime from my soul and from my eyes and breathed new life into me.

I was lost, numb, hopeless, and I believed that my life would never get better. I saw no light at the end of the tunnel whatsoever. I even tried to take my own life.

I've been addicted to alcohol since I was 22 years old. I am 36 now, so I've spent 1/3 of my life in the throes of addiction. When I think back on all of the times that I put myself and other people at risk through my drunken behavior, of all the poor decisions I made, all the times when I showed up but was not present because I was still drunk or hungover, all of the losses that I did have versus all of the losses that I COULD have had...I realize that there is absolutely no reason for me to be alive today--no reason except for the fact that God clearly has a purpose for my life that extends beyond my own vision. I am still struggling. Every day is a battle against this desire for alcohol and my perceived need to get numb and drown out the insecurities in my own head. But I do hear the voice of God calling me away from that life and from that death sentence...because alcoholism IS a death sentence, if not for the grace of God. So many nights He kept me alive. He brought me home safely against all odds. I've committed so many sinful and regrettable acts under the influence of alcohol, and yet He still loves me. He's still working on me. If that isn't cause enough to lose the chains of addiction, or to feel that recovery is even possible, then I don't know what is. Thank God for letting me live to see another day! You are never too far gone to where He can't find you. Even in the pit of despair, even at the very bottom, even at the tattered end of your rope--He still loves you. No matter what. Don't give up hope. God isn't giving up on you so don't give up on Him.

My family has always been faithful. Finally, one day I realized that my sin had not alienated me from the love of God. Nothing I did could manage to separate me from my Creator.

I now see hope and possibility where there was no hope and no possibilies.

God has pulled me through so much wreckage and decay it is hardly fathomable. He has never ever given up on me, even when I was not worth salvaging...he chose to pull me from the pit and clean me up. I didn't earn it. I don't deserve it...and yet there it is. God's grace. Every single time.

If God didn't give up on me, then He will never give up on you. I was the lowest of the low, but I know that His grace and mercy have kept me alive to live out my true purpose.