The Greatest Christmas Gift

She's 36 and been an alcoholic and drug user for 20 years. Carol (not her real name) reached rock bottom almost a month ago. After her boyfriend (who she really liked) left her for another woman, she went on a drinking and drug use binge. She dissapeared from home where she lived with her parents and two year-old son and drifted the streets and crack houses for days until she was finally badly beaten in a fight among drug users.

A couple of months ago Carol had been invited to the Free Will Baptist Church by a fellow drug user who attends church occasionally (a new twist to friendship evangelism). She came a few times, but didn't stay. When her binge ended badly, she knew she needed help. Who could she turn to? She remembered the church and asked her father to call the pastor. A little over three weeks ago the pastor met with her and her father. Is spite of many previosly unsuccessful attemps at rehabilitation, this time she was serious about her need for change.

A plan was set up to help her spiritually, psychologically, and medically. Her father claims to be an atheist, her mother is Catholic, and her sister spiritist (or spiritualist). She has been faithfully attending church, along with her father, and has remained sober and off drugs for 23 days now. On Sunday before Christmas the church put on their Christmas program with music and drama. Not only were Carol and her father there, but her mother came as well and had a wide smile on her face the whole time. At the end of the service the pastor extended an nvitation and Carol made a decision to turn her life over to the Lord. She has enrolled in a discipleship class and started reading a new Bible.

I met with her yesterday. It has been difficult for her to break away from her addictions, but she is managing with her new-found strength. "I need new friends. All the friends I had were users", she told me. "I dont'want my son to grow up seeing me this way!" "Will God really forgive all the bad things I've done?" What a wonderful experience it was to share the good news that God really does forgive us for eerything we've done. That's the reason it is called a new birth and a new life in Christ.

Pray for Carol. She is on the right path, but has a long way to go. Pray that her concerned family will see the power of the Lord to change a life and that they will also trust in Him. Pray that we will have wisdom in counseling. Pray that we will reach others who also need the Lord.