Finding Hope: A Plan for Loved Ones of AddictsSample

Day 8: The Mother’s Prayer

Today’s Devotional is written by Pam Lang (Lance’s Mom)

As a parent, you try to protect your kids from evil. You strive to see their vulnerabilities and train them to be strong when temptation arrives. This is what I wanted to do for my children.

When bad choices cost people or took people’s lives…it was the lesson I taught. When people made good choices and God blessed them, I set their example as a trophy. We made sure they were surrounded by godly men and women. I talked to them about never taking that first drink or experiment with that first drug due to the rampancy of abuse in our family. I prayed with them and for them every day. We memorized scripture.

Yet it got my son.

Was I blind? How did I not catch this? How did this happen under my roof? Did I not prepare him enough, did I not pray enough, was I not strict enough or was I too strict, did I not check out his friends and activities closely enough? My intentions were good…

Yet it still got my son.

Why didn’t we do something? That will haunt me forever. We were so spineless. We did not want to believe this was our son and this had happened to us.

I recall one painful phone call when Lance told me, “Will you just leave me alone? I’ll call you when I’m ready.” I told my husband, “Okay, that’s it. I’m leaving him alone.”

But I didn’t leave him alone, because that statement brought me to the most desperate prayer I’ve ever prayed.

Why, God, did it get my son?

I began to pray, “God, whatever it takes…take me if it will turn my son around. I am willing to die if it will get his attention. God glorify Yourself, God we will give You all the recognition, honor, and praise if You will turn our son back to you. God, please allow him another opportunity to serve You, to be a godly man, to be a godly parent, to proclaim Your message of redemption and restoration.”

And Praise the Lord, God got our son!

I know His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His purposes are higher than our purposes. I know He can take our messes and make a message for His Kingdom’s sake. I know He can restore the years the locust has eaten (Joel 2:25).

In our family, God is restoring the stolen years in our grandchildren’s lives; God is restoring the stolen years in our children’s relationship; God is restoring the stolen years in our relationship with Lance; and God is restoring the stolen years of a wasted testimony and He is doing it in such an enormous way.