Stories
Sharing the Gift He Was Given
Not too long ago, Chris’ mom gave him a house key.
That may not sound like a big deal, but when you know how far Chris had fallen into addiction, it’s huge. It’s huge because it shows that God has transformed him so much that trust has been restored. And there was a lot to restore because Chris’ battle with addiction started early.
He remembers going to class high when he was in 5th grade.
Five short years later, before he even graduated from high school, he was doing meth. That continued for the next 26 years.
“When I looked at it, drugs were a solution to pain,” Chris says. That pain came from watching his mom and sister being abused by his mom’s ex-boyfriend.
“It’s heavy-duty when you’re in grade school and your sister’s getting punched by him, and your mom’s getting punched by him. It’s a lot to go through when you’re just a kid,” he says.
Not only is it a lot to go through when you are a kid, it can impact decades of your life. It wasn’t until Chris came to
Redwood Gospel Mission that he finally began changing and healing. And it’s all because this is where he met Jesus.
“I really encountered God in a big way. I felt like Jesus coupled with AA was just a match made in heaven. I felt like there was more than just rehab, it was a way of life. A family. A church family. Man, great things started happening when I encountered God,” says Chris.
“I got everything back that I lost. My kids are back in my life and I’ve got a place to live, I got a job, got a car. And my mom gave me her house key.”
Now Chris is doing everything he can to share the gifts of love, grace and freedom with as many people as he can. He is one of our teachers here at the Mission, working to inspire and encourage the guys currently in our program by pointing them to Jesus and showing them that new life is possible!
Blessed by Blessing
But even as he works to give back, he’s blessed in return.
“I get way more out of it than the guys that I go teach,” Chris says. “I could be having the worst day, and I go show up at the Mission, it just turns right around on me. I think it’s because God does something amazing here.”
God does amazing things here, and He does it through friends like you. Chris is proof. He’s been sober for almost 11 years now. He has a relationship with his kids, a steady job, his own place to live, serves on the worship team at his church, volunteers here at the Mission and now that his relationship with his mom has been restored, he uses the key she gave him to help around her house.
It’s a life he never could have imagined 25 years ago, and he loves it.