Today is the 27th of August, in case you didn't know. The weather is crap. West Ham are bottom of the Premier League again. I'm staring at a pile of washing up that isn't getting any smaller, and I'm wondering how best to spend the last day of the summer holidays?!?!
Just a normal day, you might think.
For the most part it is.
But 16 years ago on the 27th August, my Dad finally got on the wagon, so to speak. I wanted to comment on this massive milestone, but just before I opened this blog, I received an email from him. I'll let him do the talking instead.
Morning all,I was listening to a Jesus Culture album on my way to work this morning. The lyrics say something like: 'the chasm was far too wide, I never thought I'd make it to the other side, but your love never fails'. Sixteen years ago today, I finally gave up drinking after 25 years of drinking unhealthily, the last ten years being particularly chaotic and destructive. I never thought that I would be able to stop and believed that I would soon die, drunk and alone.But God had other plans.I now know that He was with me always. When I finally looked into an abyss of darkness and despair, when I had nothing left of my own to fight with and was beaten and broken, He gave me the strength to not only confront my demons, but to make them history (or His Story?).The song ends with a paraphrase of Romans 8 v28: 'You make all things work together for my good'. This is the truth. Not the little voice in my head that told me I would never amount to anything or be good enough for Him.
Have a great day everyone. Apparently the sun will shine later.
Malcolm.
