After a physically (and mentally) exhausting day, I'm back home. I eat a bite, and decide to check FB. (Interruption: I won't be posting M-W cause I wont get home till 11:00 or later, and I will hit the sack immediately) And there's this personal message to me from an individual that, as a result of our journey has, thru God, for the last three weeks, successfully kicked a cocaine habit and turned their life over to Christ. I could add nothing to this post that would be any more thoughtful or insightful than re-posting her story, with names changed. I want ya'll to see that your prayers for us are not going unheard. For stories like this just lighten our load so much, and give meaning to Jenn's and Garretts passing.
Please pray for Christine: here's her story
■Hey, Frank! I've decided to tell you my story now, which though it may not be interesting, it comes completely from my heart. I'm fifty years old and started using drugs thirty five years ago. Twenty three years ago, I thought maybe shooting up cocaine would be a grand idea. Well, from the day I started I became hooked. I went to see our preacher, Brother Duke (some called him Brother Buck) at Fairfield Highlands Baptist to seek help and advice for my addiction. That was about twenty years ago. He told me cocaine was my "lover" and had taken full control of me. He compared it to a spouse you put first in your life. He was correct in that I chose coke over sex, food and even people.
I prayed for so long, so many times. Crying out and asking God to please help me before my kids watched me have a heart attack one night after getting high. I didn't mention I'm three hundred and fifty pounds which doesn't help when you're doing coke. I live with my parents (in their 80's) in (city deleted) along with both my daughters. Kelly's twenty and Karen is twenty five. Kelly's the one who went to school with Garrett since first grade. She and I share a bedroom and are very close.
With no end in sight with my addiction, I began to wonder if God had truly deserted me. I am, in fact, just an ant in the scheme of things. I believe and KNOW there is a God, just couldn't figure out why he wouldn't help me not have cravings for coke. Then, April twenty seventh came along. When ever Kelly would come home from school, she would get me some coke and bring it home. So, whatever she said from the time she walked in the door until I quit getting high, really went in one ear and out the other. She told me about Garrett, his story and asked me to pray for him and his family. I did pray, I just did it because she asked me to. So, it kind of got to be a daily ritual. She came home and watched me get high while keeping me up to date with Garrett the whole time. One day, I thought to myself "why does she keep bringing him up all the time"? I got my answer in June sixth. To back up, on the fifth (Garrett's home going) I was on FB and saw your picture under friend suggestions. I knew who you were immediately because you honestly look just like you did thirty seven years ago. (you're welcome! lol) I was so excited to see you and had hoped you'd add me so I could write you this happy message saying "hello".
You did add me around ten a.m. on the sixth. I was on FB, saw the notification and went to your page and was actually smiling and anticipating pushing the message button to write you. When I got on, I glanced down and saw a lot of people posting on your wall. I stopped and looked at it. Well, it took me about thirty seconds until I realized I was reading a nightmare and a parents worst fear.All this time Kelly was talking about Garrett and I never knew he was your son. My heart sunk, and I remember I was crying so hard I couldn't even breathe right. Frank, I felt God's presence like I never remember feeling it in my life. I can't explain it, but he was making me read all of this and he guided me to a few days before the tornado to give me some perspective of you and what was going on in your life.
It took me over an hour to read because I was reading everything word you wrote slowly to soak it all in. The closer I got to the fifth, the harder I cried. I started hurting in my body and began getting sick. God was healing me and I was throwing up all the poison in my body. (That's what I believe anyway) By the time I read your last blog, my life had changed and this is what I believe. If you and your wife can go through losing not one, but two of your children and didn't turn to drugs, then why in the world was I using it? I had no excuse whatsoever. I've read everything on Garrett's page to get a sense of who he is what he likes, dislikes and in general who he really is. (not gonna talk about him in the past tense.) After all, this was the man who helped save my life. Though it may sound melodramatic, I know without a shadow of a doubt that if he hadn't have gone to be with God, I never would have even been phased and I never would have stopped using. Thankfully, for whatever reason I may never know, God has given me another chance to be a "real mom". I have an incredibly long journey ahead of me and not even sure how much time I have left in this world. I know that I have picked my bible up, dusted it off and now read with enthusiasm that I never even knew I had. I stopped the coke that fateful day I read your blogs and I now pray so many times a day that I couldn't even count.
Garrette means so much to me and I've told him "thank you" and even talk to him everyday. I wish I could have given him one hug...just one. What you're going through is something I cannot begin to imagine. I pray for you and your family everyday and will continue to till the day I die. All I can say is thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and I will be eternally grateful. Sorry this was so long, didn't plan it that way.
I love you, my brother in Christ!
Frank here: I've edited out many complimentary things she wrote, but you get the jest of it. God has come into this Mom as the result of each prayer offered up for us. I thank you from the botom of my heart! I'lll be back Thursady, but I'll read when I can
Please pray for Christine: here's her story
■Hey, Frank! I've decided to tell you my story now, which though it may not be interesting, it comes completely from my heart. I'm fifty years old and started using drugs thirty five years ago. Twenty three years ago, I thought maybe shooting up cocaine would be a grand idea. Well, from the day I started I became hooked. I went to see our preacher, Brother Duke (some called him Brother Buck) at Fairfield Highlands Baptist to seek help and advice for my addiction. That was about twenty years ago. He told me cocaine was my "lover" and had taken full control of me. He compared it to a spouse you put first in your life. He was correct in that I chose coke over sex, food and even people.
I prayed for so long, so many times. Crying out and asking God to please help me before my kids watched me have a heart attack one night after getting high. I didn't mention I'm three hundred and fifty pounds which doesn't help when you're doing coke. I live with my parents (in their 80's) in (city deleted) along with both my daughters. Kelly's twenty and Karen is twenty five. Kelly's the one who went to school with Garrett since first grade. She and I share a bedroom and are very close.
With no end in sight with my addiction, I began to wonder if God had truly deserted me. I am, in fact, just an ant in the scheme of things. I believe and KNOW there is a God, just couldn't figure out why he wouldn't help me not have cravings for coke. Then, April twenty seventh came along. When ever Kelly would come home from school, she would get me some coke and bring it home. So, whatever she said from the time she walked in the door until I quit getting high, really went in one ear and out the other. She told me about Garrett, his story and asked me to pray for him and his family. I did pray, I just did it because she asked me to. So, it kind of got to be a daily ritual. She came home and watched me get high while keeping me up to date with Garrett the whole time. One day, I thought to myself "why does she keep bringing him up all the time"? I got my answer in June sixth. To back up, on the fifth (Garrett's home going) I was on FB and saw your picture under friend suggestions. I knew who you were immediately because you honestly look just like you did thirty seven years ago. (you're welcome! lol) I was so excited to see you and had hoped you'd add me so I could write you this happy message saying "hello".
You did add me around ten a.m. on the sixth. I was on FB, saw the notification and went to your page and was actually smiling and anticipating pushing the message button to write you. When I got on, I glanced down and saw a lot of people posting on your wall. I stopped and looked at it. Well, it took me about thirty seconds until I realized I was reading a nightmare and a parents worst fear.All this time Kelly was talking about Garrett and I never knew he was your son. My heart sunk, and I remember I was crying so hard I couldn't even breathe right. Frank, I felt God's presence like I never remember feeling it in my life. I can't explain it, but he was making me read all of this and he guided me to a few days before the tornado to give me some perspective of you and what was going on in your life.
It took me over an hour to read because I was reading everything word you wrote slowly to soak it all in. The closer I got to the fifth, the harder I cried. I started hurting in my body and began getting sick. God was healing me and I was throwing up all the poison in my body. (That's what I believe anyway) By the time I read your last blog, my life had changed and this is what I believe. If you and your wife can go through losing not one, but two of your children and didn't turn to drugs, then why in the world was I using it? I had no excuse whatsoever. I've read everything on Garrett's page to get a sense of who he is what he likes, dislikes and in general who he really is. (not gonna talk about him in the past tense.) After all, this was the man who helped save my life. Though it may sound melodramatic, I know without a shadow of a doubt that if he hadn't have gone to be with God, I never would have even been phased and I never would have stopped using. Thankfully, for whatever reason I may never know, God has given me another chance to be a "real mom". I have an incredibly long journey ahead of me and not even sure how much time I have left in this world. I know that I have picked my bible up, dusted it off and now read with enthusiasm that I never even knew I had. I stopped the coke that fateful day I read your blogs and I now pray so many times a day that I couldn't even count.
Garrette means so much to me and I've told him "thank you" and even talk to him everyday. I wish I could have given him one hug...just one. What you're going through is something I cannot begin to imagine. I pray for you and your family everyday and will continue to till the day I die. All I can say is thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and I will be eternally grateful. Sorry this was so long, didn't plan it that way.
I love you, my brother in Christ!
Frank here: I've edited out many complimentary things she wrote, but you get the jest of it. God has come into this Mom as the result of each prayer offered up for us. I thank you from the botom of my heart! I'lll be back Thursady, but I'll read when I can
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