31 Years Ago, God Delivered Me

On August 12, 1995, God, as I understood Him, delivered me from addiction. Thirty-one years later, I’m still learning what that means.

Looking back, there are three things I’ve learned:

God can meet us in places we never thought we’d escape.

I didn’t have a five-year plan. I barely had a next-day plan. But God met me where I was and began leading me somewhere new.

Deliverance is a gift, but staying free requires surrender.

I’ve learned that recovery isn’t just about what God delivered me from. It’s about what He is continually calling me to: honesty, humility, dependence, community, and a life surrendered to Him.

Your greatest mess can become part of your testimony.

I wouldn’t wish those years on anyone. But I also wouldn’t erase what God has done through them. The scars remind me that grace is real, God is faithful, and no life is beyond His reach. And yes, I have scars. But, I also have hope and a Savior. His name is Jesus.

Thirty-one years.

I’m grateful.

Not because I was strong enough, but because God was faithful enough.

And He still is.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

Psalm‬ ‭40‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.40.2.ESV