Steven’s Second Chance

After 40 years as an alcoholic, Steven was convinced his destiny was to drink his life away.

In the early morning hours of June 6, 2013, Steven had hit rock bottom in a run-down motel room in Olney, Illinois. For decades, he had indulged in countless drunken nights and binge weekends when he emptied two liter bottles of Vodka and 30 cans of beer in a two-day span.

“I would drink until I passed out, then start drinking again when I woke up,” Steven remembers. Not surprisingly, his life was spinning out of control.

As a young boy, Steven and his brothers endured the sadness of their parents’ ongoing abusive relationship, but at least found some activities to help them escape the pain. “We hated seeing our parents fight,” Steven shares. “So we joined the Boy Scouts and started a band that played on weekends to keep us away from home as much as possible.”

In addition to the pain of his parents’ relationship, Steven discovered there were also serious issues behind the scenes in his father’s life. When he would go away on weekends with his father for special occasions, his father would drink and reveal many secrets he was keeping from Steven’s mother.

Right out of high school, Steven became a heavy drinker. And while many of his friends eventually were able to quit or drink in moderation, Steven grew deeply, desperately addicted to alcohol. This tragic lifestyle continued for 40 years – until one pivotal night.

The Night Everything Changed

Steven’s life was at an all-time low. He married but later divorced, which magnified his drinking dependency. Then his son took his own life, and the inner pain became even more unbearable.

Hopeless and numb, he checked into a dingy motel to commence another weekend of binge drinking to forget his pain. But June 6, 2013 was a night unlike any other.

At about 2 a.m., Steven woke up with a hangover, and turned on the TV. As he clicked through the channels, Inspiration Ministries’ Campmeeting caught his attention, and the speaker had a life-changing word from the Lord. “I instantly knew this message was for me,” Steven shares. “It hit me like a ton of bricks!”

As Steven watched the Campmeeting broadcast, he cried out to God to change his life. “Lord, I need a new life. Take my dependency away,” he begged God. “I want to be so free that I can walk past a bar and not go in.”

But even as he prayed, Steven wondered if it was just too late for him to change after 40 years as an alcoholic.

Now, years later, Steven has a hope-filled future and newfound freedom as a recovering alcoholic. His love for the Lord is strong, and he makes daily decisions to turn from alcohol dependency. God has even blessed him with a wonderful Christian fiancé.

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

Steven’s story provides a message of encouragement for others who may need a new beginning today. “God is never finished with you!” he loves to tell people now. “I’m so grateful to Him, and I don’t know where I would be without Inspiration Ministries intervening.”