NEWSLETTERS

See how your compassion gave Max a fresh start! 

“I was serious about wanting to die.”

Max grew up as a traveler. Coming from an Air Force family, he moved around a lot and developed a restless spirit.  

When he was 16, after returning home from his father’s assignment in Guam, he found that his friends had started drinking while he was gone – and he decided to join them. He didn’t like it at first, but it was a way to fit in, and soon, he developed an addiction.  

Over the years, the alcohol was always a problem – but after he got divorced, it really took over his life. “I was avoiding my responsibilities, and I chose to drink instead,” he says.  

The drinking was paired with continued travels, and though his life was filled with adventure, it was also marked by many rock-bottom moments that left him feeling lost. Later on, when his health began to deteriorate and he was forced to stay home, the isolation made his drinking even worse. 

Max had tried to end his life many times over the years, and those moments were heavy on his mind the day things changed: “I was broken, sitting in my bedroom with a half-gallon of vodka, doing the same old thing. I decided it was either call it quits on life, or get help,” he remembers. “So, I chose help.” 

Max had been to other programs before, but when he came to the Market Street Mission, something in him was different. “I came through with an absolute commitment,” he says. “I was determined to submit to God, and nothing was going to get in the way of that.” 

He knew he had a lot of healing work to do, so he chose to stay longer in our Life Change Addiction Recovery Program to get the help he needed. Group counseling provided the opportunity to share his experiences and learn by listening to others. “Even though I’m up there in years, I can still gain knowledge from others, so that was a great help to me,” he says.  

He also discovered that a key to recovery is to look inward: “You have to dig down deep to find what the issue is,” he explains. “Alcohol and drugs are not the issue – they’re a symptom of it. Why do I need that substance to get through what I’m going through? What am I not wanting to deal with? At the end of the day, ‘I found the enemy and it was I.’ You have to be honest with yourself and with God about all the hidden things, and admit you need someone to help you.” 

When he surrendered to God, he began to grow spiritually and see changes in himself. “I’m more relaxed now because I’m allowing God to run the show,” he says. “It’s been nothing but fantastic ever since.” 

Through God’s love, Max found healing; and thanks to your support, he graduated from our program! Now, he is serving as a Mission Intern and feels called to use his own life experiences to mentor the younger generation in our program. 

“I’m 68 years old, and I think I’m an asset because of my age,” he says. “I can help guide these young men so they don’t end up where I am at my age. At the end of the day, I always give our residents something to think about or challenge them in Scripture, and they seem to enjoy it when I bring them a little bit of something they didn’t know.” 

His leadership role is also teaching him to stay focused on his purpose, even when things get difficult: “In my past career I was the boss, so I knew how to troubleshoot and work through issues. That all came from God, and is being used now in ministry. It can be chaotic around here, but I watch my peers work, and the calmness and joy they find in what they do has helped me tremendously,” he says.  

Thank you for your prayers and generosity that have given Max peace for today and hope for the future. “The Mission took a man like me and showed me how to find strength and hope in Christ. Now, I’m relying on Him for whatever comes my way.”

To read the rest of this issue of Market Street Mission Messenger, click here.