Christian Mathews was 14 years old when his mom was diagnosed with cancer. He knew she was dying, but she kept telling him everything would be fine. “Nothing is going to happen to me,” she would say. “I’m going to see you grow up and get married and have kids.” Six months later, she lost her battle with cancer.
“I cursed God when that happened,” Christian recalls. “Soon after, I started using marijuana. In 2016, I lost my aunt. My father, sisters, brother and grandmother were all I had left, and that’s when the devil really blinded me.”
In an effort to numb the pain, Christian’s struggles with addiction got worse, impacting all of his relationships. He would even steal from his father and grandfather in order to get a fix. His girlfriend of six years broke off their relationship after giving him chance after chance to change.
“I showed no remorse for messing up relationships. I was very rebellious and didn’t know what my true identity was.”
Then he met Jordan, who was also struggling with addiction. The two of them were arrested together on his father’s front porch, and he went to 7 Springs Ministries, while she entered another recovery program.
Christian remembers the extreme physical pain he experienced during detox and describes it as “purely devilish.” Thankfully, he had support and encouragement from Jordan throughout their recovery journey.
“We’re both clean now and will be graduating from rehab later this year. Jordan and Jesus have been my saving grace.”
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- Christian Before
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- Christian Now
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- Christian & Jordan Now
When looking back on his road to recovery, Christian saw a turning point after he relapsed and was welcomed back into the program with open arms.
“I didn’t deserve to come back, but they gave me another chance. At 7 Springs, they believed in me and gave me time to figure out things while providing help and guidance along the way. They helped me find myself.”
They also helped him find God. He began to recognize all the times the Lord had been there for him, and he believed the Bible was true.
“I’m 24, and I wish I could’ve found him sooner, but I am grateful to know him now.”
Through the recovery process, Christian learned lessons in patience and biting his tongue. He learned how to respect others and how to be a leader. He also overcame his fear of public speaking.
“In school, I failed classes because I wouldn’t get up and speak in front of the class. I’m proud to say that I just shared my testimony at Word Alive International Outreach — in front of more than 200 people — at one of their Sunday services.”
Above all, Christian learned to cherish every minute with his family, not worrying about the future, but living in the “now.”
“Just worry about today. Focus on this moment and how you can steward each day well. Try to be better than you were yesterday. That’s the best thing you can do.”
When you support 7 Springs Ministries, you give people like Christian a second chance. Hundreds of broken lives have been restored, helping men and women fulfill their God-given purpose.
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