How can we help people who seem beyond helping?
I was raised in a broken home where drugs, alcohol, and physical abuse were common. It didn’t take long for me to take on some of the same bad characteristics I saw daily. Before I knew it, I was drinking alcohol and stealing drugs from my stepdad’s stash to sell or consume. I remember walking home one morning to get ready for school after a night of drinking and drug use. I looked in the mirror and realized I’d become someone I despised—someone I’d promised myself I’d never be. I let self-pity justify it, though, and convinced myself this was my destiny.
During this time, my grandmother persistently prayed for me and invited me to church. I lived in a small town where news travels fast, so she was aware of my substance abuse. Some weekends I would give in and agree to go, so I had to make sure I didn’t party quite as hard the night before. Thankfully, she kept praying God would show me His love and reveal the plans He had for me.
@dannyduran24
Looking back, it’s amazing to see how God orchestrated the timeline of events. My grandmother’s love and her ability to look past my faults led me to a family willing to take a chance on a troubled teen. They took me in as their own. Through their love and acceptance, I was able to see Christ’s love for me. It’s because of that Jesus-like love I’m now a changed man—one with a wonderful marriage and children who will be raised knowing the amazing love I once was unaware of. I gained all this because people were able to love like Jesus.
