Justin’s Story

Please God, Just One More Chance

When I smoked my first joint at 13, I didn’t realize that what I really wanted was attention, to feel like I belonged.

When I turned to heavier drugs, I had no idea that I was careening down a dangerous road that would almost kill me several times.

When I survived two brutal car wrecks and three overdoses, I couldn’t see that God clearly wanted me alive, and that He had a plan for me.

Though I grew up in a loving home, I never felt like I fit in anywhere. I made poor choices to fill the void — hanging out with the wrong crowd, doing drugs and alcohol. I ended up losing my job, and I ruined my relationship with my parents and with a girlfriend. I numbed my pain with more drugs. It was a vicious cycle. A car accident that crushed my legs should have served as a wake-up call, but it didn’t. Ironically, it only deepened my dependence on pain pills.

Then I overdosed three times in six months. I wasn’t intentionally trying to kill myself, but I didn’t really care if I died, either. But the third time, I remember saying, “Please, God, just give me one more chance.”

He did. And for the first time, I admitted that I needed help. A counselor recommended The Potter’s House — one of Atlanta Mission’s long-term addiction recovery programs. I signed up right away.

They welcomed me with open arms. I finally found what I’d been looking for my whole life — love and acceptance. I belonged.

Two months later, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. By then, my relationship with him had been restored, because he knew my heart had changed, and he had seen me sober for the first time in more than a decade. When he died a few months later, he was at peace because I had turned my life around.

Atlanta Mission and The Potter’s House literally saved my life. I’ve learned how to deal with hard times without drugs. I have a full-time job. I am involved in my church, where I teach a children’s Sunday school class. I just bought a car, and I will soon be living independently.

Atlanta Mission connected me to my Heavenly father, which gave me the chance to reconnect to my own father. I owe God all the glory.

Stories like this are a direct result of your kindness. The lives of men, women, and children are being transformed every day at Atlanta Mission. Thank you for your continued support!