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Wow! Ten years, since I was a student at Hebron. My wife told me about Hebron shortly after I was given less than 90 days to live, by 3 different doctors. Drugs and alcohol were rapidly taking my life. I thought… go to North Carolina, rest up for a few weeks, I would be good as new. Little did I know, that God's word, his promise to me was about to restore, all things Satan had taken from me.
There is a special anointing, about Hebron Colony. On the 54th day at Hebron, on a Wednesday morning, I was delivered from all of my addictions. I challenged God that Tuesday night. I prayed out loud, “God if you think you are able to heal me, then here I am; give it your best shot!! Be careful what you challenge God to do. For you see, we need to seek the promise not the results; we need to seek the giver not the gift. I can do all things through Jesus, who strengthens me. I am strong in the lord and in His might, I can do all things. The staff at Hebron are very special people. I made friendships there that will last a lifetime.
When I first went Hebron, my wife and I were homeless, no love in our marriage or our family, no money, no future. The day I said yes to God, while at Hebron, was the beginning of the manifestation, of God's promise to me and all who believe, in Him. I am now a branch CEO of a successful industrial tool supply company, married for 40 years this June. The love of God will embrace everybody, if you just say yes to Him. When you pray heartfelt prayers, miracles do happen. I should know; I am one of them. Hebron Colony was and always will be the place, where I found God's healing and redemption power. If students pray and obey, God will do what he promised. He put His Son on a cross to prove it!!
With much love and admiration,
Michael McCorkle
Class of 1999
John 8:31-32
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When
I went to Grace Home in April of 2005, fifty per cent of me wanted
to die and the other fifty per cent felt already dead. I truly thought
that I was destined to be an alcoholic and that I was being punished
for turning away from God. I was saved the summer after I graduated
from high school in 1978. I had started drinking and dabbling in
drugs when I was 13 years old and by the time I was a senior in
high school I had done a lot of things that made me feel extremely
dirty. During the summer of 1978, I attended a camp sponsored by
the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. My soul was so stirred, and
I accepted Christ that summer. My life drastically changed and I
knew that I had found what I had always yearned for. However, when
I went off to college a few months later, I felt so lost and alone.
I stayed to myself and sought no fellowship with other believers.
I really thought that I was the only Christian on campus. I became
very depressed and was extremely critical of everything and everyone
around me. After college, I joined the US Army and it wasn't long
that I began to drink and use drugs again. It started off slowly,
but by the end of my 3-year enlistment I was barely hanging on to
life. I will not go into details about my life after the army because
much of it is a blur and it is my past. Suffice it to say that in
the years that followed, I suffered 2 miscarriages, married and
divorced twice, lost my home and went through several residences,
ruined a 13-year career, spent years involved with the legal system,
and killed a friend in a drinking and driving accident. I wasted
many years and caused so much heartache because of my drinking and
drug use. My two sons must have wondered if I loved them at all.
My family was sickened by my behavior and lack of respect for life.
No one, however, could have had worse feelings about me than I had
for myself. I hated myself. I knew that I had turned from God to
life in the pit. I had been unsuccessful at my many attempts to
quit drinking. It was then that I decided God had assigned me to
be an alcoholic because I had left Him so many years before. I had
taken a life and so I felt my life should be taken.
Then
came the divine intervention masquerading as legal intervention
by the courts which led me to Grace Home. I was devastated as I
traveled the long path to Grace Home. I cursed myself for having
messed up my life so badly that I had to be subjected to rehab…but,
little did I know. Words cannot express what my 10 weeks at Grace
Home did for me. My life was completely transformed as I came to
realize that God deeply loved me and desired to have a personal
relationship with me. I learned that He specializes in healing the
broken-hearted and restoring life to the lost. God also revealed
to me that even though I had to face the consequences of my sin,
He still had an abundant life waiting for me. All I had to do was
turn away from myself and turn to Him. I knew that what Jesus told
the disciples about the Holy Spirit coming to abide with them was
also true for me. For me to say, “I cannot do this anymore; Please
help me” was an invitation for the Holy Spirit to do a work in me.
I stand amazed at all that God has done for me. I did drink again
some months after I returned from Grace Home but the Lord deeply
convicted me to get back up and do what He required of me. I had
to leave an old job and give up some long-time acquaintances in
order to make room for what God had in store for me. I had to replace
my former familiarities with new found trust in God. Today, my family
is serving the Lord and we give thanks to God for having taken a
shattered life and replacing it with joy that is complete and eternal.
I could list all the wonderful things that are taking place in my
life, but even if those things were not present, knowing that God
seeks to walk and talk with me every day gives me peace that the
world cannot give. It is my desire to spread the good news that
Christ is all and all. May God richly bless Grace Home's ministry
of healing and restoration for those who find themselves in bondage
to alcohol and drugs.
Much
love in Christ,
Diane
Thurmon, Grace Home Graduate, June 2005
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