I am a 56 year old divorced man living in Florida. I became an alcoholic at the age of 13. I had a real messed up childhood starting at the age of 3 when I was adopted into the Harrington family. I felt unloved and unwanted from the very beginning which resulted in a lot of trouble at school, in the service and in my marriage of 12 years to my high school sweetheart who divorced me in 1979. I could not hold down a job. Every job I would get, I would get fired or quit for one reason or another, but the real reason was drugs and alcohol.
After my divorce, I moved to Florida to start a new life. I stuck my thumb out and hitched hiked from northern California to south Florida. I worked odd jobs for awhile and eventually went to trade school and got a diploma in air-conditioning. I went from one company to another for 15 years. I finally got fired. At this point I was totaly lost in drugs and alcohol.I lost my apartment because I could not pay rent and ended up being on the streets homeless. I stayed that way for 4 years. My life was over and had contemplated on suicide many times but I didn't want to go to hell so I decided against it.I was extremely miserable and no friends. I was eaten up by staff infection and hospitalized on many occasions.
I finally got out of the homeless camp and broke into a warehouse where I lived in a 12x12 room.
One night i was sitting outside my warehouse on a bumper stop, drunk as could be, when a man came leaving the corner bar,walking down my street.As he approached, I saw myself in him like looking into a mirror. This part is hard to explain but I will do the best I can. As he got closer, I started to weep and I cried out "God! help me!" "I can not keep going this way!" "Just take me out of here I don't want to live any more!!". For 20 minutes or so, I wept on my knees till I was exhausted. I then got up and flopped myself down on the old broken down couch I used for a bed and drifted off to sleep. At six o'clock in the morning, I was awakened by some one calling my name, "Richard, Richard, Richard, you must stop drinking, you must stop smoking and, you must go back to church."As He said that, a feeling of warm liquid flowed through my body, starting from my head to the bottoms of my feet, and I yelled out "thank you Jesus!" I knew instantly that Jesus Christ had healed me.!This was before I knew what any of this meant, but i knew that i would never need drugs or alcohol ever again! i knew it! He put a love into me that there is no words to express it. He totaly turned my whole life around.
I put my trust in Him and asked Him to lead me to the church He wanted me to be a member of, and He did.! I asked him to find me a home and a job, and He did.! The good news is, i have never looked back. I have the same job, and go to the same church that He led me to, but that is not the best news. The best news is, I know where I am going now when I leave this world, heaven! and I know why I am here!It is to serve Him! and I do with all my heart.
He is real! and if you don't know Him, I implore you to get to know Him. He waits for you with open arms. He will be the best friend you will ever have! He loves you very much.!
God bless you! and thank you for taking the time to read my testimony. If you know of any one who needs to here this, please don't wait! Send it to them.! This might be the last chance they will have to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as there personal savior.
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