I WAS HOPELESS, BUT FOUND MY HOPE IN CHRIST

by ALLY
( SOUTHAFRICA, CAPETOWN,)

Hi my name is Alison and I'm a ex drug addict,and I'm going to share my story of how i got healed from my addiction.

I was your typical 16 year old teenager,grew up in a Christian home were my mum ,dad 2 sisters and brother were all born again Christians. I attended church regularly with the family went to youth and all the other activities i had to do.

Never really understanding the bigger picture about it all

Being the youngest of four children i was spoiled a lot and i got basically a lot that i wanted my dad had a good job and my mom was at home taking care of the household.

At school i was teased and mocked a lot by the other children and over the years i developed a deep hurt inside myself never feeling good enough, never liking myself, wishing i was somebody else. Wondering what GOD was thinking when he created me.

I experimented with drinking and smoking at aged 15. I would regularly would spend time with friends drinking and smoking. Then my mum got concerned because i stayed out late nights partying. Finally, i stopped spending time with those fiends and just continued my life further still smoking cigarettes by that time i was addicted to that.

At aged 17 i was introduced to crystal meth or tik as its know as, by a friend of mine, the first time didn't really do anything to me probably because i didn't really know how to inhale it properly. Then after a few months i saw some other friends doing it and i joined in, i was taught how to smoke it the right way and from there on I'd smoke every weekend.

The feeling it gave me yoh, it was great feeling on top of the world and in that i didn't feel any hurt i felt invisible and ready for anything. I'd always get a lot of pocket money so most of the time i would buy the drugs for my friends, that made me feel important and liked.

In that time i met my 1st boyfriend. We met through mutual friends that smoked, we dated for 2 years and i got pregnant with my daughter Alexandra. After her birth we both swore that we'd stop for the sake of our child but never got so far. We loved meth more than our child.

Then it went from smoking over weekends, to me bunking school and even lying and stealing to my family to get money to go and smoke with my friends. I was never suspected, things went missing, my parents just thought things were misplaced or that my uncles that were staying in our back yard took them.

Then i got worse and my family picked up that i was on something and then the seeking help for me i went to drug-support meetings with our youth pastor but at that time i wasn't ready to stop. I only did it to please my parents.

Then it got worse so worse that i dropped out of school and became a full blown addict , and in that time i lost my boyfriend through somebody stabbing him so i smoked a lot.

Until one night coming home from smoking with a friend of mine i felt different, i felt like i was losing my mind i imagined all sorts of stuff that was not real. Then and there at that moment there i heard a preaching on the Christian network channeland, it was about healing from GOD, it was like GOD was speaking to me through the preacher.(there's my hope i was thinking)

There and then i decided that i needed GOD and i gave my life over to GOD.

AS TIME WENT BY I ATTENDED DRUG SUPPORT MEETINGS AT OUR CHURCH I REMEMBER RELAPSING QUIET A FEW TIME BEFORE TOTALLY STOPPING BUT AT LEAST I KNEW I WAS NT ALONE I WAS IN THIS WITH GOD AND THE SUPPORT GROUPED PRAYED FOR ME.

By that time I'd stopped hanging out with those who smoked, I'd changed my music and I'd attend church regularly. This time really knowing why I'm doing and not feeling obligated to come to church but because i had a personal relationship with GOD and because i knew it was only him who truly set me free from this addiction.

It's just great just serving GOD and knowing Him daily. I learn something more about our awesome GOD, his goodness and love.

So my encouragement is that the things of the world is only for a short while(having fun drinking smoking what we 'think of as 'fun' things to do) but being with GOD in heaven is forever. So young people forget the things of this world and concentrate of sorting you life out for heaven and serving GOD.

Because our purpose on earth is to serve GOD i learned that the hard way many times GOD allows things to happen so that we can call out to him.

JOHN 3V16:
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON TO DIE ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS SO THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVED IN HIM WOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

Today I'm happily married to an amazing man and we're happily serving GOD TOGETHER WITH OUR 3YEAR OLD CHILD ALEXANDRA. When all hope seems lost, seek for hope in GOD!