Steven’s Second Chance

Steven’s story is a powerful reminder that no one is ever too far gone for God’s grace. After four decades trapped in alcoholism, he finally discovered the freedom that comes from surrendering fully to Jesus. His testimony shows that no matter how far we’ve fallen, God stands ready to redeem and restore.

 

When Alcohol Took Over: Forty Years Lost to Addiction

For 40 years, Steven lived convinced he was destined to drink his life away. Alcohol wasn’t just a habit—it became the center of everything, swallowing decades of his strength, hope, and identity.

By June 6, 2013, he had hit rock bottom. Alone in a run-down motel room in Olney, Illinois, Steven was repeating the same destructive pattern that had defined his life for decades. 

“I would drink until I passed out, then start drinking again when I woke up,” Steven recalls. His life was spinning out of control, and he saw no way out.

Searching for Peace: Childhood Pain and the Roots of Addiction

Steven’s struggles didn’t start with his first drink. It began much earlier.

As a boy, he and his brothers lived under the constant shadow of their parents’ abusive relationship. Home was unpredictable. Chaotic. Heartbreaking.

“We hated seeing our parents fight,” Steven shares.

To escape the turmoil, they joined the Boy Scouts and formed a weekend band—anything to stay away from home.

But some wounds follow you.

Steven’s father carried heavy, hidden struggles of his own. During weekend trips, he often drank heavily and shared secrets he kept from Steven’s mom. Those moments left a weight on Steven’s heart he didn’t know how to carry.

After high school, Steven turned to alcohol for relief. His friends slowed down or quit—but Steven only fell deeper. What began as an escape quickly became a 40-year prison. 

The Night Everything Changed: A Faith Encounter in a Motel Room

Years later, Steven hit his lowest point yet.

A marriage that ended in divorce deepened his loneliness. Then tragedy struck—his son took his own life. The grief hollowed him out, leaving him numb, devastated, and utterly hopeless.

Desperate to forget, Steven checked into a dingy motel for another weekend of binge drinking. But the early morning of June 6, 2013, would be unlike any night he had ever lived.

At about 2 a.m., he woke up with a pounding hangover and turned on the TV. As he clicked through the channels, Inspiration Ministries’ Campmeeting broadcast suddenly caught his attention.

The speaker’s words cut straight through the haze of alcohol and despair.

“It hit me like a ton of bricks!”

Deep down, Steven knew—God was speaking directly to him.

Walking Free: When Steven Surrendered Everything to God

Right there in the motel room, Steven broke. Tears streamed down his face as he cried out to God.

“Lord, I need a new life. Take my dependency away,” he prayed. “I want to be so free that I can walk past a bar and not go in.”

Forty years of addiction weighed on him, whispering it was too late. But grace whispered something louder.

Today, Steven lives with hope, purpose, and the daily strength of a recovering alcoholic who walks hand in hand with Jesus. God restored his joy, renewed his future, and even brought a wonderful Christian fiancé into his life.

Never Too Late for God’s Redemption

“After 40 years in bondage, I thought it was too late for me to ever get a second chance,” Steven says. “But miraculously, when I walk past taverns and bars now, I have no urge to go in and drink!”

Now he shares one message everywhere he can:

“God is never finished with you.”

And he’s forever grateful that Inspiration Ministries was there the moment he needed hope most.

A Hope-Filled Next Step

If Steven’s journey resonates with you or someone you love, know this: God still sets people free.

Our free Spiritual Growth Hub course, Overcoming the Gravity of Anxiety, offers biblical truth and practical steps to help you begin walking toward lasting freedom—one step at a time.