I also grew up in a very abusive family. My stepfather abused me verbally and physically all the time. I knew that he never wanted me, but when he married my mom I was part of the package. He was an alcoholic and when he was drunk he was satans left hand. Growing up in elementary school I can remember numerous times he would hit me with his fists, sticks electrical cords or whatever he could find at that time. One instance stands out more that any other. I was in 7th grade and I came home with a bad report card. He told me to go to my room, I new what was coming. He told me to take off my clothes and lay over the bed. He went out for a moment and came back in with an electrical cord. I could see fire in his eyes. He began hitting me with the cord, the pain was intense. After awhile the pain seem to disappear. When he stopped I came back to earth and the pain set in. My entire body was covered in welts and I was bleeding from most of them. This all happened on a Friday. Monday when I went back to school and I forget that it was swim day. The other male students noticed my body and the teacher asked me what had happened and I told him. See back in those days it was acceptable to beat your children. The humiliation I recieved from the other kids was overwhelming to me. As years passed I became a drug addict and an alcoholic at 17 years of age. I went into the service right out of high school to escape satans grasp. But as I found out being able to travel all over the world my one pot habit became a full blown drug habit. I used every drug conceivable. When I got out of the navy I came back to my home town. I still had a drug habit but no job so I began to steal to support my habit. I did this for a couple of years until I was caught. I spent a short time in the big house and realized this is not the place for me and I have stayed out of trouble since. Because I decided to work to support my drug and alcohol habit. My father was very abusive to me and my mother. And in 1997 my mother died, I know that she is in a better place. Last year my stepfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. His short term memory is pretty much gone and now his long term memory is starting to be effected. I became a Christian a little over a year ago. And when I found out that he had Alzheimer's God spoke to me and said that I needed to forgive my stepfather for what he did to me. I did nothing to hurt him. So for the past year my family and I have been visiting him on a regular basis and we enjoy it. His daughter lives only about 150 miles away yet she hardly visits him. There is only one of my stepfathers friends that come to see him other than my family seeing him he is a very lonely man. So as Christians we must forgive others in order for God to forgive us. I enjoy my walk with Christ and make him the center of my life. Life is good when we walk according to the way God wants it to be. Yes it can hard, but I would never choose to go back to the way I was once I have stepped into Gods light.
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Posted by: By*His*Grace on April 27, 2007 6:56PM EST
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Ace, First of all welcome to the Family of Christ. And praise God, that is so GREAT to hear how God has changed your life! Just hearing your story gives me hope for somone I know who is struggling with drugs, alchohal, and other wordly things. Isnt God's grace amazing! I'll be praying for you. God Bless! onfire4Him
