A Closer Walk: All Fired Up

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The next day his lawyer told Jeff* he should go to Al-Anon, a program for family members of alcoholics. At first he resisted and was too proud. He thought, “I’m not the one who needs counseling. She is the alcoholic, not me.” But he knew he had to do something.

The first night he drove to the meeting place and sat outside in his car. He didn’t want to go in. Part of him thought, “You don’t need this. You have your daughter now. You are in control.” After he watched some other young people walk in, he felt compelled to go in and check it out. He didn’t say anything that first meeting, just sat and listened. He was relieved to hear there were people in worse situations than his. He learned you can’t control or force an alcoholic to change. That was out of his control. He could stop enabling her though. They asked him to choose a Higher Power, so he chose the Lord.

He started praying to God to help him. He was finally able to sleep at night.

One day a guy called Jeff and said Anita was passed out in his car and he wanted Jeff to come get her. Jeff didn’t want anything to do with her and told the guy to call 911. A little while later the guy called back and said he didn’t want to get in trouble by having a drunk woman in his car. Jeff drove to where she was. She woke up and started yelling at Jeff in the parking lot. A nearby restaurant called the police. Since Anita was on probation, they arrested her.

While Anita was in jail, she wrote Jeff a long letter apologizing for everything. She understood she had a problem with alcohol and was finally willing to go to rehab. In rehab, she met some women from a church who talked to her about God. It was like she woke up and became a completely different person. She started believing in God while she was in rehab.

Jeff realized he still loved her and wanted to pursue the relationship. In Al-Anon he learned if he was going to have a relationship with a recovering alcoholic, he had to let go of his anger at things that happened in the past. The two of them went to couple’s counseling. When she found out she was pregnant again, Anita said, “Maybe we should go to church.” Jeff, remembering John 3:16, and acknowledging that he believed in God, said, “No, I’m good.”

Jeff’s sister invited them to church. He didn’t want to go, but remembered attending church with his grandmother when he was young, so he let their daughter go. She came home singing songs she learned and talking about the Bible stories she heard. She loved going to church. After a few weeks, Anita started attending as well. He saw a change in her. She had more peace and patience. They didn’t fight and argue like before.

After seeing Anita change, Jeff decided to go to church on Easter. He felt like the Pastor was talking directly to him. He learned God is love, and loved him. Up until that time he only knew the fear of God. He didn’t know God wanted a personal relationship with him. Jeff understood he needed to ask God to forgive him, and he also knew he couldn’t keep living his life the way he was. He started reading his Bible and learned more about this great God.

After a year of attending church, Jeff and Anita decided to get married. Jeff joined a men’s group and learned to study the Bible. He learned that to be a man who followed God, he had to walk with God.

Jeff and Anita’s lives and family have changed dramatically. They are committed to following the Lord. They were baptized and are actively serving in their church. After seeing their lives changed, many of their family members started attending church and found the love of Jesus also. Jeff says the biggest change is he lost his anger and rage. He has none of that anymore. He says he still has plenty of things he needs to work on, but he no longer has that sense of needing to get revenge, even when someone cuts him off in traffic.

*Names changed.

Has God changed your life, or someone you know, so dramatically that others want what you have? Isn’t God amazing to make us new when we choose to follow Him?