Finally sober

Drinking beer began pre-school. In an atmosphere of love from parents, spoiled by grandparents, playing with kittens and horses, I found Dad’s cache of beer. His was an iron-working job that kept him away from home a lot and when he was there was either asleep or drinking beer – until that fateful night when he beat up Mom so badly her eyes were swollen shut and blood was running down her face. I saw it all and was terrified. While he slept, we ran. Didn’t see him for a year.

The next three years was tough living with a mother who was very dependent on valium and slept continuously. I stole cigarettes from her and from a store. When I was 10, Mom remarried an alcoholic who beat us. We moved in with Dad. Mom moved out of state and wouldn’t see her for 10 years.

After cigarettes and beer came marijuana, speed, hash and LSD. High school was a time to party – even with some of the teachers. I did poorly in school and no one seemed to care.

Dad had a successful salvage business. I had cars, motorcycles, drugs, alchohol, sex and no rules. A paradise of sin. However, beatings continued regularily. I got tough. Pain didn’t hurt. Alcohol and drugs helped anesthesize me. I quit school early.
Got married at 18. Had a child. Bought property with two houses. Had a half dozen hot rod cars, and a home with a white picket fence.

At the age of 24, Meth hit my diet. My wife left me. I became depressed. Sold everything I owned. Quit working. Needles injected the drugs into my blood stream. Trouble with the law: DUI’s, drug charges and aggravated battery. I lost eveything.

At age 33, I’d been in every jail in every town I visited. The 11th DUI put me in maximum security prison. I finally saw this was not the kind of life I wanted. Began to read the Bible and while studying the Gospels I invited Christ into my life. Boing! A light turned on and weights fell of my shoulders. Everything seemed new. I earned my GED. New life began.

A month later after release from prison I slipped back to the old ways. Another DUI sent me back to prison. I desperately sought the Lord. He blessed me with a new wife, a child, a good job, a Harley and a home with a picket fence.

Back to the old way. Alcohol and drugs lead to another divorce and loss of everything. Eleven more felonies for burglary, grand theft and drugs. I planned an escape. The plan was carried out and when I was about to hit the cop, I could not budge my arm. Like God was holding me back from digging a deeper pit.

At that point I surrendered to God. He intervened again. I went to court. All charges but two were dropped. Restitution was dropped from $75,000 to $2500. I was offered a rehab program, pay my fine, have three years of probation and I’d be a free man.

As I share my testimony, people cannot believe that I was the way I was. I’ve finally surrendered my life completely to God. I’ve been sober for 15 months. Been at the Lighthouse for 9 months. I am now a child of God and have the authority to do His will in the name of Jesus. I have victory in Jesus to be free from the bondage of sin. I like Proverbs 3:5-6, “I trust in the Lord with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I acknowledge Him and He directs my path.

The value, the benefit of what I’ve been through is this: I’ve really grown in compassion to people who are hurting, who are hooked on drugs and alcohol. I’ll be a great friend and possibly counselor when I leave the Lighthouse.

Burton H