Hard time ahead

I received a letter yesterday from a guy who is beginning a prison term for eight years for selling meth. He is trying to get the word out to kids that there are consequences for drug use and particularly for selling drugs. This was his first offense, but he was caught with a large amount of nearly pure meth and three guns including a 357 Magnum, Glock handgun, and shotgun which he stated that he kept for “protection” and they threw the book at him.

I went on line and watched his testimony, WWW.roblong.us and one thing he said resonated with me. He made the statement that no one ever starts out thinking that they will become a drug addict or even regular user, much less a dealer. Drug use often starts by someone passing a joint around at a party where most people are already a little high from drinking alcohol anyway and their inhibitions are lower than normal and they give it a try. After having become accustomed to smoking marijuana which yields a somewhat mild high, usually a couple more times at other parties or someone’s house etc, someone will offer up a little taste of cocaine, or perhaps a little pill called Ecstasy or similar drug.

Marijuana in itself is not as dangerous or addictive as other drugs, but is often called the “gateway” drug, because so many people start with it and then progress to more dangerous and addictive drugs. That is what makes marijuana dangerous. Often all that it takes is for someone to try certain of these more dangerous drugs, (crack in particular), just “one” time, and the person will be hooked on them from that point forward for the rest of their natural born life.

Drug use tends to escalate from that point because addiction is a progressive disease. The feeling is good and one never wants it to go away; so more and more is fed into the body. It becomes very expensive and the money has to come from somewhere. Drug users do poorly in jobs and eventually lose good jobs. If someone is not just wealthy beyond imagination, often people will sell drugs to obtain their drugs free, they sell their bodies for sexual favors, or they steal. It becomes highly addictive to the point of life domination. The fall will occur; it is only a matter of time. When it does even the best recovery centers boast less than 15% success of those who become addicted and go through treatment and ever successfully stay off it for more than a year.

Unfortunately there are far too many drug users, abusers, and addicts in this country. Kids start younger and younger. Young people have no fear of the realities of the dangers of drugs including imprisonment, severe health problems, mental anguish, and even death. If you know someone who is experimenting with drugs then by all means intervene if you possibly can; the sooner the better. If possible, get them professional help.

Drugs are used to escape reality and if God is in one’s life reality is not bad, but good. Most addicts never go to church or join a small group, they don’t do fun things like go water skiing, camping, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, canoeing, or similar activities. Life is centered on drugs, alcohol, bars, music, sex and other drug users. It is one of satan’s most powerful tools to destroy humanity.

The guy who wrote to me asked me to help him get the word out about drugs and what it has done to ruin his life and his family’s life. He is just a youngster in his early thirties, but will be forty when he gets out of prison. Federal prisons are not pleasant places. He is using his experience to warn others and that is a good thing. Meth was my drug of choice and take it from me it is straight out of hell. It brings misery and death to those who use it. I have seen people die from meth and I almost went that route myself. I am not enamored by meth dealers and it is hard for me to generate much sympathy for him, but my prayer is that God will mold him and use him in the same manner that he did me and eventually he will use his experiences to help others to avoid making the same mistakes that he made. If so, God will turn his curse into a gift that will hopefully be used to help others for years to come.

1 Peter 4:10
As each one has received a gift,
minister it to one another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.