ADDICTION is TOUGH!
- Megan Walker
- Aug 24, 2020
- 3 min read
Jesani, a young woman from what was known as one of the roughest neighborhoods in America, quite naturally grew up enduring much difficulty and struggle. She was put in positions that forced her to grow up extremely quick, and her family didn't even seem to notice. Her parents lived in two separate places, however they seemingly lived very similar lives. From Jesani's perspective, it was simple: they were self centered with cold hearts, alcoholics, drug addicts, and manipulators. She couldn't understand how or why she ended up with such parents.
She often thought, "My parents are horrible and my life is horrible, why can't I have a normal family?"
Addiction is tough for everyone involved. What Jesani couldn't see was the struggle that her parents endured before she was born, and the severe damage that was caused as a result. What she didn't know was how much her parents were actually sacrificing to maintain some sort of sanity in her presence, and how they were on the verge of ending it all- including her. What she didn't realize was; the very fact that she was born, actually made them feel like they had a real reason to keep pressing through their pain, and every time they were able to only look at Jesani, they received hope. They received joy and a sense of relevancy.
Everyday they wrestled and fought with the stressful life of addiction because they simply didn't know how to be free. They had become exhausted from their failing efforts to be clean, and it seemed like no matter how much progress had been made,
they were always at step one.
If Jesani had known what was really going on with her parents, her perspective toward them would have changed. Perhaps, if someone was around that Jesani felt comfortable talking to, they could've shed some light on the grey areas of her life. Or maybe even the perfect book or set of articles that clearly articulated the struggle of addiction would have helped Jesani to understand them better. Unfortunately none of that ever took place before Jesani found herself in an extreme struggle for her own sanity. She found herself indulging in some of the most unthinkable behaviors, and began to earn some of those same labels that she had classified her parents by years before.
As Jesani struggled to connect with everyone around her, she began to feel the pain that her parents were feeling for so long, and it had a similar effect on her life. With anguish she observed her situation, and realized that her struggle with addiction was real. After trying all that she knew to be free, her efforts seemed to result in failure also.
It doesn't take long to recognize the continuous cycle that is taking place in this story, and it only takes about a half of a second more to realize that this story is not an isolated event. Although the characters here are not real, this dilemma is and has been the face of many family struggles time and time again.
Addiction takes hold of people's lives in a gruesome way, and is one of the most difficult things to let go of.
If you have found yourself in a situation much like Jesani's, PLEASE know that you can be free. You'll need much help as it won't be something that you can handle on your own, but freedom can happen. Many people have tried to tackle the journey alone, and have found themselves free only for a short time before they are entangled once again.
Please don't try to handle it alone, there is someone who can and will make you free. Believe it or not, Jesus is waiting on you to surrender all of it to Him: your life, your struggles, your pain, your failures, your addictions, your relationships, and your family.
If you're reading this and you're ready to live and walk in freedom, just simply whisper this prayer to God:
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