Freedom from the Past - Hope for the Future: Remarkable Stories of Recovery

Copyright © 2019 by Kenneth Kirk

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 978-1-54396-168-3

eBook ISBN: 978-1-54396-169-0

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Joe and Marilyn Collazzi. Joe has served as the Director of Kansas City Rescue Mission in Kansas City, Missouri for more than 30 years. Marilyn has faithfully served with him. These stories represent just a small glimpse of the thousands of lives that have been changed by the influence of Joe and Marilyn.

I have appreciated the friendship of Rev. Joe Collaizzi, who has given his life in ministry to those with addictions and homelessness. I appreciate the encouragement he has given in the production of this volume.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are given to all those who allowed an interview or submitted a story for this book. I appreciate their willingness to tell their story so that others might have hope. Obviously, the names have been changed to protect the identity of the persons sharing their stories.

I appreciate the advice and assistance of J. Paul Turner in the design of the cover for this book and other very helpful suggestions.

I also wish to give a very large THANK YOU to my wife, Marilyn, for her support and involvement in the editing of this manuscript. Her insights and assistance have been invaluable.

Table of Contents

Introduction

A Desperate Cry For God

O Father God

I Took the Cotton From My Ears!

The Vicious Cycle

A Steep Spiral--Out of Control

The Power of Addictions

Don’t Mess With Me!

A Changed Life!

God Was There..I Just Didn’t Know it!

The Cost of Leaving God Out of Your Life

A Redemption Story

I Decided to End it All

But For the Grace of God

The Dramatic Escape to Freedom

An Unfinished Story

A Man Without Excuse

From Despair to Delight

I Am From

Survival By God’s Grace

Brief Testimony

God’s Miracle in My Life

Looking Back

I Know God is Calling You!

I Know The Plans I Have For You

Please, Give God a Chance

Conclusion

Introduction

This book is written to help bring attention to the serious condition of homelessness and addictions that exists all around our country. It is not uncommon, in almost any city in the United States, to encounter those on the street corners indicating need for assistance. One can often observe those who are homeless, wandering aimlessly along the city streets. As the evening approaches, these people will begin to search for a shelter or, at least, someplace to sleep through the night. Many will be forced to spend the night in what may be called ‘unsheltered’ locations such as under bridges, in vehicles, or abandoned buildings. Some may be observed just sleeping in alleyways or in doorways unprotected from the cold, heat, or other weather-related conditions.

Following are some disturbing statistics about the homeless in our communities. These stats are gathered from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Authority (HUD) website.

Homelessness is described in various ways.

Here is one: ‘ A person who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence.’

HUD says that well over 500,000 people are homeless.

Point-In-Time Counts, an organization that, annually around January 1st, conducts surveys concerning the homeless in America, states that on any single night in the country, at least 564,700 people are homeless. It is estimated that 7 out of 10 (68%) experiencing homelessness were staying in shelters, but that 31% were in unsheltered locations. Most of those who are homeless are men. (I am told that there are many, many more that hide and are not included in these stats.)

Twenty-three percent of people deemed to be homeless are under the age of 18, 9% between 18-24, and 68% are over the age of 24. Fifty percent of the homeless population is over the age of 50 and these often face additional problems with health and safety issues because of their age. Another term used in the discussion of homelessness is ‘chronic homelessness.’ This term generally refers to those who are long-term homeless or repeatedly becoming homeless. Those who are chronically homeless most often live in shelters and take up a lot of the available resources available to meet the needs of those on the street. It is astounding, however, that the so-called chronically homeless compose only about 15% of the entire homeless population on a given day!

Another very sad statistic is that 50,000 to 60,000 United States veterans are homeless! It is further estimated that 1.4 million of other veterans are at risk.

Veterans often become homeless due to war-related injuries. It is believed that because of physical disabilities, mental distress, post-traumatic stress, etc. many of the veterans are unable to adjust to civilian life.

It is also known that 20-25% of the homeless suffer from severe mental illness, according to government studies.

The issue of homelessness is also complicated by the presence of drug and alcohol addictions. Many are homeless because of these addictions. It is believed that those with drug or alcohol addictions do not have control over what they are doing, taking, or using. Of course, these addictions often reach a point that the person is at risk and needs help.

Addiction to physical substances is a very serious problem in our society today. Those who are addicted often struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness, despair, failure, and rejection. They also live in anxiety and humiliation. When a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol, there is little or no control how they use it and they come to depend on it just to cope with daily life. Because of the psychological and physical issues involved, the person is unable to control the addiction without help.

The matter of addictions and homelessness presents to our society a dilemma and an opportunity.

There are many organizations that attempt to supply assistance and help to those in need. There are heroic attempts to intervene and reach out to those with substance addictions. One such organization is AA (Alcohol Anonymous) that for many years has helped many to turn away from substance abuse and to remain accountable by meeting regularly with others of similar difficulties.

Many religious organizations have also attempted to meet the need by the establishment of shelters, case management, medical assistance and recovery programs. Many of these also try to provide needed clothing and food to those who are homeless and in need of help. Our nation owes a great deal of gratitude to AA and other organizations that have stepped forward to address this very pressing problem.

This book is written to highlight the menace of homelessness and addictions. Appreciation must be given to all those, and to anyone, attempting to reach out with love and concern, to the homeless of our communities.

This small book is an effort to provide insight into another necessary component that is felt necessary to the recovery of those individuals who are homeless and suffer from addictions. That component is the need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an everyday dependence on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. (please do not lay this book down without reading the stories contained in the book.) It is the strong conviction of this author that, though no recovery or treatment program is 100% successful, those who will accept the Lordship of Christ in their hearts and life, will experience a better life beyond, and without the addictions that have enslaved them!

The stories in this book, hopefully, will stand as proof of the very positive effects that Jesus Christ brings to our lives. The stories are presented to give a glimpse into the tragedy of homelessness and addictions and to give praise to God for positive results, but also to provide hope to all who read! Jesus Christ does make a difference in our lives!

In addition, it is hoped that the reader will be able to get a glimpse into the sense of hopelessness that is evident in the lives of those with addictions. Many of us may never have experienced anything like this and for that we should be grateful. As you read the stories, ask God to give you a heart of concern and love for those who struggle with addictions and homelessness. We must realize that these people are loved by Almighty God. One statement I often see displayed says it so well: ‘God loves you just as much as He loves me.’ This thought ought to come to mind whenever we observe people around us who are enslaved by addictions. God loves those people just as much as He loves you and me! And, we must love them too!

A Desperate Cry For God

The little children scattered to hide when their drunken father entered the house. This happened often in the younger years of George and his siblings. Inevitably, the father would find them and begin beating them as he screamed curses. The mother of the children would often try to intervene and attempt to protect the little ones, but then the raging drunk would turn on his wife and beat her as well. In George’s own words, he said, ‘I hated him for that!’

George was born in Indiana and the family moved to the east bottoms of Kansas City when he was about five years old. He well remembers when his mother told the family that the father had been murdered in a nearby cornfield. George said when his mother told them of their dad’s murder, that he felt, happy! He believed that the beatings and the chaos were finished and there could be more peace in the home. It was a relief to know that the father couldn’t beat them anymore.

As much as he hated his father, George states that ‘sometimes you become what you hate most!’ Somehow, at the tender age of 12, George began drinking beer. He seemed to always be looking for alcohol in some form or another. At around the age of 15, he was taking every opportunity to drink with his so-called friends and this led to many trips to the juvenile detention center. He spent time, long term in the juvenile detention center under multiple charges. He was deemed ‘uncontrollable’ in Western Missouri. At age 17, he was sent to prison for three years. All of this occurred because of his excessive drinking and the crimes that naturally followed. He states that ‘my drinking always got me into trouble!’ When he got out of prison, he continued the same destructive lifestyle of drinking and getting into trouble with the law enforcement agencies.

George said that he spent about 20 years in prison because of his drinking. He would always try to leave alcohol out of his life but would soon go back to his old habits of drinking and getting into more trouble. He entered treatment programs at different locations but wasn’t seriously trying to change his life. While he was in one program his mother died. He says that he was desperately praying that ‘God would take Mom away!’ His mother was in a nursing home for 13 years, paralyzed, had one leg amputated, and suffered with severe diabetes. George misses his mother very much but believes that she is looking down and is proud of what is happening in his life now.

George has a brother who is currently in prison for crimes committed and has about two years to complete his sentence. This represents more ‘fallout’ of the very destructive early years of this family.

George recounts that during his years of drunkenness, he was in many difficult and dangerous circumstances. He remembers one night, while drinking, with two friends, in a house and, apparently, passed out. When they awoke the next morning there were about fifteen others in the house with them. He states that was a dangerous situation. George says, ‘I don’t like to live on the streets.’ He would prefer sleeping alone in the woods. Many times, he determined that he was going to do better. He felt badly that the alcohol had such control of his life. He would attempt to pray and ask God to help him, but then he would hear another voice saying, ‘just go grab yourself another ‘fifth’ and you’ll be fine.’

George believes that God was speaking to him and eventually led him to a rescue mission in Kansas City. In that treatment program, he began to learn more about God and what it means to be committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. As he continued to read the Bible, listen to his counselors, and interact with his peers, he began to see some light at the ‘end of the tunnel!’ He began to realize that God had a plan for his life. He admitted that ‘every day I