by Julia Charleston

Her words were confident and strong; her attitude told me she meant every word. The pain of her past was visible in her eyes, but the BIG beautiful smile on her face told a story of victory. Hers was one of many stories of addiction; all with long twisted roots that travel deep down into the soil of their souls.

As she read the goodbye letter she wrote to heroin, I was overwhelmed with a plethora of conflicting emotions. I couldn’t help but be saddened by the trap she had fallen into, as well as be hopeful and optimistic for her future.

Her letter reminded me once again, that addiction does not discriminate. It knows no color; it does not care whether you are rich or poor. Addiction welcomes everyone who opens the door; it holds captive all who cross its threshold and destroys everything in its path.

But God…

My brave, beautiful friend embarked on a new journey – a journey toward recovery and healing. As she said goodbye to her addiction, Jehovah Rapha filled her empty void with His unfailing love; our healer helped her dig up those deep roots and plant beautiful tender new plantings – plantings of hope and a future. He filled that God shaped hole and began to mold her and shape her into a new person.

As a result, she is no longer a slave to her addiction. She is free – free indeed.

This is how she officially said goodbye:

Dear heroin,
You introduced yourself into my life with such appeal and lured me in with all your deceptions. You made me fall madly in love with you. At first you were kind to me and made my hurt and sorrows fade away. Little did I realize it was only for a short period of time. You began to control my mind, my will, and my emotions. Before I could stop you from taking my life, it was already too late. You owned me; I was your slave. I was at your beck and call and would do anything to appease the hunger you burned within me. You turned me into a liar, a thief, and a manipulator. You took my self-respect and respect for others, especially to those who loved me the most. I despised you and everything you were about. Yet, I still gave in to you on a daily basis and couldn’t let you go. Today though, I have begun to take back that power you always thought you would possess over me. Today, I refuse to feed into your lies – lies that you would always control me. Instead of you being above me, you are beneath me. Today I am NO longer your slave.

~A Program Participant

“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free from this life
that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God!
The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25 [NLT]