My name is James and I am a recovered addict in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I am 33 yrs old and have been using drugs and living a crazy life of sin for 22 yrs. 

I have been in and out of prison for most of my adult life and some of my teens due to my drug use. I have used almost every drug you can possibly name and would do anything I could to provide for my habit. Pretty much I didn’t care about myself or anyone else as long as I had my high.  I thought of no one but myself.

I always came to jail and tried to change my life, and surrender to God. But you know what? I was just fooling myself because I always had it in the back of my mind that I still wanted to get high. So every time I would get out of incarceration I would live well and right for a few months and then BAM, right back to square one….using, getting high and turning my back on the Lord and my family. It was always a matter of time before I would be right back in the same place I promised to myself and my family I wouldn’t go back to. Wow, what a “low life” I would say. “There’s no hope for me, I’m not ever gonna make it, I want to die. I should just get it over with and overdose and be done. No more pain”.   

I became a full blown heroin addict in April 2013. I met a woman from my past and she turned me on to heroin. I had been out of prison for about 10 months and things were going well. I was committed to God, work and family. I thought I could do it and be okay. Well I fell in love with the woman and the drug like no other. I fell quick in 6 months. I was so strung out I couldn’t do anything but look for a way to get my fix. I lost my job, pushed everyone away from me and turned my back on God. I was the sickest ever in all my years.

On September 25th, 2013, I came to jail for theft, identity theft and violating my parole. I was a mess. I couldn’t take it anymore. I just wanted to die. That day in jail I got on my knees and I yelled to God to please help me take away this pain. Please, if you have a purpose for me then use me, help me. If not, take me out of this world.

That’s when God sent me the Jail Chaplain. Through him God showed me I was still loved. Then God sent me more jail volunteers, Phil and Marlene, Brother Amos, Tom, and the list goes on! God showed me that plenty of people still loved me.

I was blind for all those years, but now I can see. I’m a new man in Christ and it’s not just words this time, it’s my whole heart. I hear God now and I never had before. My God is alive and if He can save me from all that, then He can save anyone!

Your Brother in Christ,