somehow to show her how much He loved her. We determined
to stay in touch and met three or four times over the next few
months. Each time we talked and prayed I knew we were in a
fierce battle, not only for her sobriety, but for the restoration of
her soul.
The last time I saw her was only a few weeks ago. She had
gotten a ride from campus to meet me at my church. We sat
together and got caught up before the sermon started. She had
been drinking, and in her life, as it had in mine, alcohol usually
led to other trouble.
Unbeknownst to either of us, the message was based on the
passage in Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine....
Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” She smiled when I
shamelessly winked at her and poked her ribs. God was not
going to let her go.
After the sermon, we knelt together, and she prayed out
loud, tearfully asking God to forgive her once again. During her
prayer, we both knew the stranglehold had finally been broken.
She was done. The anxious back-and-forth battle was over. She
resolved to leave the party girl behind—and the friends that
went along with that old girl. She would pursue new friends, a
new identity, and the freedom from addiction that comes with
that new life.
So this week, when I received the following email from her
(used with permission and unedited), I couldn’t help but think
of how God talks to us with words of forgiveness, intended not
only for us but to restore the souls of others, as well.
Last night my roommate and I are sitting in our room doing
homework and this girl down the hall comes in and asks if she can
talk to me for a minute. I got up and followed her to her room, and