My name is Mike K. I am 41 years old I was born and raised in Kensington Philadelphia. As far back as I can remember my life has never been stable or normal. I was born to a 14 year old mother and a 16 year old father. I spent the first few years of my life living with my mother and my grandparents. My grandfather was a bookie/drug dealer and spoiled me because I was his only grandchild. I spent a lot of time idolizing him and his lifestyle from young age. Around age seven my parents and I moved in together. My father was also a street kid and sold drugs when I was young. He was always well respected and I thought that was the best thing ever. As I was growing up I was witness to many tragic events that influenced my adulthood. At age ten I saw another boy from the neighbor killed as he was riding his bike. I was haunted by this image for many years and have never forgotten that day. I saw my father attempt suicide twice, once being on Christmas day this also effects me to this day. As a teenage I spent most my time with a group of friends hanging on the corner selling and using drugs. I loved every thing about that lifestyle and got deeper and deeper involved with it until it was too late. The next 23 years were a blur of events that I wish I would have never had to live. Drugs became my life, I turned my back on every belief and person that meant anything to me. I have been in over ten long-term rehabs and over twenty detox centers to stop using and never lasted over 30 days upon leaving. I have caused severe pain to the people that love me most. I stole and lied to every one of them continually in order to maintain my addiction. I have two children who also have to live through the problems I am having. I have chose drugs over their love and welfare. I have spent the last five years homeless on the streets of Kensington as a full blown cocaine and heroin addict. I have hurt everyone so much for so long that I had nowhere to turn. I have tried several recovery houses in that period of time and could not stay clean longer than a week. I honestly came to terms that I was going to die a drug addict on the streets. That is exactly where I was headed until I was arrested in March 2018. I detoxed and spent the next 7 months in jail. My mother bailed me out in September 2018 because I lead her to believe that I had changed. She let me come home and stay with her for the first time in five years and within three days I was found overdosed on the bathroom floor. She kicked me out and I was right back on the streets. In two short weeks I was just as bad as before I was arrested. On the night of October 1st, I got high and had to be revived by someone with Narcan. I was scared but woke up the next morning to get high because I was sick. I gather up some money for heroin and woke up to and EMT pounding on my chest. I overdosed once again and this time my heart stopped and I almost didn't make it. At the time all I could think about was I can't believe they gave me Narcan now my high will be gone. I continued to get high three more times that day. The next day it was on my mind to contact a friend to get some help. He put me in contact with Chuck Miller of Shall Never Thirst Ministries on October 3rd 2018. This is the day I was given another chance at life. I moved into a house in Frankford and detoxed cold turkey on the couch. I felt different from day one because of the atmosphere of that house. The guys welcome me and supported me through the rough time I was going through. In that house I experienced love for the first time in a long time. I was around men who knew what I had been through but were happy and peaceful and that gave me hope. There I was introduced to The Bible and into a new family of believe and that gave me the strength to get through each day. I have been taught there is so much more to life than my selfish desires. The Lord has protected me all these years out on the streets and I finally see that it has brought me to the point where I have reached out to Him. When I first arrived Chuck told me that The Lord will restore all that the locust have eaten. At that time I said "no way my life is destroyed", but after some hard work and substantial growth in my Faith I am a living testimony that He will. Five short months and my relationship with my mother has been restored. We speak daily and I am welcome in her home at anytime. My fiancé and I have been brought back together, our relationship has been renewed and is better than ever. I am a part of my children's lives today and I am able to be a good father. I have also been blessed with full-time employment and a good group of brothers. All these things are happening because I am living obedient and faithful to
God's Word to the best of my ability. This program is so much more than a way to stay clean to me. It introduced me to the Love of Jesus Christ, and even though I fall short it shows me that God still has a plan for me. Without this ministry I may have never experienced the true power of The Lord and how He can change our ways and guide your life.
Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.
Trust in The Lord forever, for in Yah, The Lord, is everlasting strength
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