Thank you for answering my email.  It means a lot to me.  I do have my story.  I lost my mother at the age of 15, and my life went down hill from there.  I didn't believe at that time of my life that God already had a plan.  I was angry and very lonely at that point.  I had lost my best friend.  I was abused physically by my mother, but I love her just the same.  I have learned just recently that my mother was also in a lot of pain of her own and she didn't know how to express her pain.  Well, not too long after that, I turned to drugs, alcohol, and prositution.  At first, I thought it was for the fun of it.  By the age of 18, I was a full blown addict.  I live to use and use to live.  I remember taking my first shot of cocaine.  I felt like I have finally found what I had been looking for, a friend in Deed.  I remember I never had to feel hungry, angry, lonely, and tired again.  Was I wrong.  My addiction progressed so quickly.  My story is like the next addict.  Before I knew it, I had lost my children.  All five of them to foster care. I became homeless and lost my self respect.  I just didn't know how to turn back and help my children.  By this time, 10 long years had passed me by.  I had been to jail and prison.  One day on my next term to prison, I knew in my heart that I could not live that way anymore.  I needed help.  I began praying and believing that the one that could help me is my God.  I have always kept my faith that my God has never left me, I'm the one that stepped away from God.  The footprints is how I lived my life out in the streets.  I always listened for God's whisper in the darkest alleys.  It's only by God's forgiving and loving grace that I sit here writing to you.  I know I have been introduced to the N/A program to learn how to stay clean today.  I now have turned my life over to my God that has always been there with me.  I have been blessed to have two of my children and their children back in mylife.  Today I can be their mother and grandmother.  Thank you Jesus.  I still have the faith that one day my family will be one again.  I am now a 42 year old employable woman that can look at herself in the mirror without shame.  I am able to love again, to love me again.  This is my story that I share with anyone that is going through or has been down that same path.

Love,
Michelle
 

Thank you so much, Michelle, for sharing your story with us.  It has touched my heart and I'm sure it touches everyone's heart that reads it.  Michelle has agreed to give her e-mail address for anyone that would like to talk to her about this.  If you are going through or have gone through what Michelle has and want to talk to someone that can relate with you, you can e-mail Michelle here.  God bless you Michelle.