What Track Marks Mean at 16 Yrs Sober

There’s everything to love about a redemption story.

It was March 6, 2007 when I walked through the Philadelphia prison gates one last time. Homeless, without money, no possessions.

But I was a free man.

Not just free from prison, but free from a life marked by darkness and bondage to sin.

The old – drug addiction, custody loss, joblessness, family chaos, death by overdose – had passed away just months earlier the moment I gave my life to Jesus inside the cold prison walls that held space for my radical life change.  

I had accepted the gift of Christ’s righteousness imputed to me, and it was the best transaction I’ll ever make.

My sixteen year sobriety journey has been full of hard work, healing, repentance. It’s been a commitment to exchanging my will for His will to be others-centered. I get to bring hope to other addicts like me, serving junkies and the lost. 

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My track marks – permanent scars from drug needles that act as a daily reminder of addiction pain – live on both my arms, hands and feet. 

These scars are here to remind me of the pain I once lived in. Days that were filled with torture of doing anything possible to get more drugs.

Lying, stealing, cheating and manipulation were common tools to get more drugs. These track marks remind me of the three times I died from overdose, and the pain caused to others. The hundreds of friends lost to addiction.

I live with that everyday through my track marks. 

We all have pain – most of us have our own track marks, scars of damage from the past.

But Jesus showed me that those who are forgiven much, are the ones that love much.

See,  it is what you do with those scars that matter.

We can use our “track marks” as a reason to stay stuck or addicted, or give them over to Jesus to do what he wants.

My scars that were destroying me turned out to be, in a sense, the very things that heal me. 

Never will I forget all the hurt and pain I've caused. But these scars I carry around give me fuel to go on. My life has been redeemed and now I can reach other people that are hurting, in pain of active addiction that need this freedom. 

Jesus heals and restores souls, and He calls us to follow him.
To go multiply His kingdom and be about other people.

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In honor of my sixteen years sober, I’m asking loyal supporters like you to give the gift of ministry training to men in our Residential Discipleship program.

Former addicts desiring to serve Jesus through ministry -oriented work in Chester. We are training up other men, once just like me, to become agents of change.

There are currently four residents in this new program. 

Would you consider supporting these men today with a financial gift?

So many selfless people have poured into my life, asking for nothing in return but for me to help the next person. Thank you for helping me! Praise Jesus for saving my life and for the privilege to help others. Thank you so much for your kind words, support and prayers over the years.

Please reach out if you or anyone you know needs recovery help at recovery@ghproject.org or call 610-874-2753