I Remember

I remember being in a place in my life where I felt as if no one cared if I was here or not. I remember feeling as if I was nothing more than a burden to my family. I remember feeling like every rehab had failed and there was no way I would ever be clean. I remember that in the middle of the chaos, there were people that loved me enough to share with me the truth of what Gods word said about me. I remember the feeling of waking up every day in torment and the only option for relief I had involved taking the risk of ending my life in overdose…. I also remember waking up in a prison cell sick, defeated, and lost. I remember opening Gods word . I remember getting on my knees and turning my life over to Jesus. I remember the Hope that entered in that moment. I also remember the struggle I encountered , the nay sayers, those who wrote me off as hopeless. I remember that the majority saw me as a hopeless drug addict and that for them it was less trouble to wash their hands of me than to encourage me. You see I remember how that feels in that moment and that is the catalyst that keeps me motivated to continue to reach out to the addict , to encourage when everyone else gives up. To look for the man or woman that is still in there, stuck in a cycle that will take there life if someone doesn’t have the courage to reach into the fire to pull them out. Our friends and loved ones aren’t choosing this life, they are hurting so bad that this seems like the only alternative they have that is better than their reality. The only way we can combat this is to share our story of hope. To walk with them hand in hand out of the darkness into the light. My entire life is focused on saving as many as I can because … I remember.