A Divorce Sent Him Into Three Fifths of Whiskey a Day. Then Kevin Found His Way Back to Jesus.
Kevin is a graduate of the Rise Discipleship home. He had a good upbringing, he says, and simply chose to go the other way. He had always been a light drinker, but a rough divorce five years ago changed that, and over the past three years the drinking became something else entirely.
"I was drinking at least two to three fifths of whiskey a day."
It spiraled from there, into pills, into harming himself, into a belief that sat under everything else.
"I figured I wasn't any good, that I don't know why anybody would love me anyway. So I would just drink to numb the pain."
A Faith He'd Walked Away From
Kevin had actually been saved young, around 12 or 13. But by 15 or 16 he drifted, for the simplest and most common reason.
"It's what everybody else did. So that's what I did."
What started as partying turned into a daily need. He lost his job and his truck and nearly everything else. He was out of work for about a month before Rise, and he's honest about how he spent it.
"Instead of going out looking for another job, I worried about finding the money to go get another bottle."
A Matter of Time
Kevin knew where the road ended.
"I knew it was a matter of time before I ended up in prison with DUIs, or maybe even killing somebody, or myself, drinking and driving."
He tried to slow down and couldn't. He needed it just to function. His sister had gotten a Rise flyer from someone and kept pushing him toward it, and finally, with nothing left to lose, Kevin decided it was time. He knew the program was faith-based, and part of him thought that might be exactly what he needed.
"I thought, maybe I just need to find God again."
So Much More Than Sober
He arrived a little intimidated, expecting the home to be mostly about getting sober. It turned into far more than that.
Kevin fell once, drinking on a fundraiser, and his first thought was that he'd never change. But his leaders, prayer, and Jesus lifted him to another level. One leader in particular, Corey, got close to him and talked him out of his own head more than once, on the days he wasn't sure he'd make it. His breakthrough came at the altar, on his knees.
"It just hit me. I felt the Holy Spirit move through me. I don't really know how to explain it. It just hit me."
Faith, Not Feeling
The verse that stuck with Kevin is Ephesians 2:8, that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own works. For a long time he had begged God to let him feel something.
"I kept telling Him, let me feel you, let me feel you. But it's not about feeling. It's about having the faith that He's there."
Today Kevin says he's completely sold out. Jesus took away the desire, for the whiskey, the pills, all of it, and he wants nothing from his old life. Where he once felt beaten down and certain every day would be the same, he now feels like he can accomplish things again. He's asking the Holy Spirit to lead him to his purpose, and he's genuinely excited to find out what it is.
If This Is You
Kevin couldn't stop on his own, and he'd walked away from a faith he had as a boy. Coming back was possible. If that's you, or if someone you love is drinking to numb a loss you can't fix for them, don't wait. It's free, a real person answers day or night, and it starts with one call.
Ready to reach out? Get help now. Freedom really is just one phone call away. (325) 232-5449.
And it's all free because of people like you. As Kevin puts it, he's living proof that your donation changed a life and saved a life, and kept him here to keep going.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, self-harm, or thoughts of suicide, you are not alone and help is available. Rise Discipleship's 24/7 helpline is (325) 232-5449.
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