I Am Yours

“It was about three years ago now that I was sent to a place called Cenikor, a long-term rehab program. Charlyn, my girlfriend at the time, dropped me off. When we were saying goodbye, I honestly thought it was our last. Making the long 100ft walk to the doors is when it hit me. It’s just me now.” 

Craig grew up in a loving home where he attended church and heard about Jesus consistently. However, he chose to run in a different direction. He spent the next 20 years of his life in intense drug addiction. He shares about the many lows during these times and the many people who were left hurt in the wake of his decisions.

After being in the rehab for two weeks, a church group came to share the gospel with those willing to listen in the facility. Through this church, the Holy Spirit opened Craig’s heart to real faith for the first time.

“It might as well have been just me in the room. I’ve never felt so connected and I embraced every word they spoke from the Bible.”

“It might as well have been just me in the room. I’ve never felt so connected and I embraced every word they spoke from the Bible. I had a conversation with God. I told Him, ‘I’m yours, God, I am yours.’ I felt His presence and knew that my relationship with Him was going to be different this time. I gave myself to Him that night. Charlyn came and saw me with the kids every single weekend for seven months during my stay. The things she saw in me were things I couldn’t see myself. We were hanging out on one of the visits and she said she had seen enough and wanted to get married! So, I left the rehab and we did!”

Even through his experience in rehab, there were still remnants of the captivating effects the drugs had over Craig. He started using again after the first year away, but Craig was not alone. God was still pursuing Craig, he had not abandoned him.

“Our marriage was over. At least I thought so. It has only been through [God]. God used the help of the people at Church at the Cross and intense addiction counseling to make an impact in my life. He is redeeming and healing the brokenness my sin has had on my marriage."

Charlyn, through counseling and a life deep in God's Word, surrounded by God's people, chose also to not abandon Craig to his addictions.

"It is truly a miracle to get to where we are today – God is moving mountains! I have over a year of sobriety now and my wife has had my back through all of this. God being first in our relationship isn’t always easy, but we get back to Him always. I told her long ago that our story was one to talk about. A remarkable story of God's work in broken people and how beautiful His love and mercy is.”

On Sunday, March 28 Craig was baptized. Our church got to witness a wonderful miracle, the physical expression of Craig’s rebirth as a new creation, a life given over to God’s glory in beautiful submission, true redemption, and reconciliation. 

“Where I am and where I want to be is in Christ. I want everyone to know my heart belongs to God. I feel I’m a true miracle of His works and His promises. I am in awe of God and want it to be known that I want to serve Him.”