Poland
My name is Mariusz. I am from Zielona Góra, Poland. I am 38 years old.
I grew up in a Christian family. As a child, I attended church and Sunday school. I studied the bible and got to know God. My excellent relationship with God lasted twenty-something years.
I was never a drinker. Later, I began to experiment. From then on, it became a regular thing.
At 26 years old, I got married to a beautiful girl and after a year of marriage we had our first child, a daughter. I started drinking more and more. This was evident to my wife and a few other people around me.
New Life Center Resident, Mariusz.
Then we had a second child - a son, and by this time, I was already drinking some more. I often came home intoxicated. I began to tell lies to cover up my tracks. I could no longer hold down a job. I drifted away from my wife, children, family and church.
I turned my back on God. I could only think about myself.
All I wanted to do was get a little money to get drunk and wallow in my sorrows – alone. When I was under the influence of alcohol, I nagged and tormented my wife incessantly over insignificant things. This continued intermittently until February 2016.
One Friday evening, I came home, opened the door and I saw - nothing. The apartment was empty.
My wife, kids and all their belongings were gone. All that was left behind was my clothes. I was in a state of shock. I had no idea what was going on, I could not get through to my wife.
That weekend I still got drunk.
Saturday night into Sunday, I some how managed to regain some of my senses. I decided I needed to make it to Sunday service. When I got to our church, my wife and kids were nowhere to be seen. This is when it hit me.
I was told my wife has decided to leave due to my alcohol addiction.
A prayer was said for me in church – that I might see the error of my ways and make better life choices. I realized I needed therapy. Some rehab of some sort – a Christian one.
I spent the next week – alone. I had a lot of time to pray and reflect. I used this time to try to repair my relationship with God. I apologized for all the bad things I had done. I asked for forgiveness of my sins and help to overcome the drinking and the lies.
I was beginning to get some inner peace. I spent the 29th of February at a shelter for the homeless. This was an eye opening experience for me. All night I prayed and begged God to help me make it into the right place to rehabilitate myself.
Sometimes takes months for spaces to become available. Four days later, March 2nd, I was in the New Life Center. This is a miracle on its own. I was already feeling God’s blessing.
I have now been here for 5 months. God has turned my life around.
He has helped me rebuild the relationship with my family. I am now in contact with my wife and children. Knowing I now have a place to go to (back to my wife, children and the church) keeps me going. This is the Lord’s doing. And it is marvelous in my eyes.
I am thankful.
About the Author
