Growing up, Joshua was no stranger to adversity. He went to nine different schools, his parents divorced and his mom moved two hours away. When he was 12 years old, his little brother drowned, and the loss took a major toll on his life.
He started going to parties and experimenting with marijuana, which was a gateway to other things like alcohol, pills and harder drugs. He was in and out of jail at an early age with charges of possession and theft. Eventually, he got charged for methamphetamine trafficking.
“I got pulled over one night and went back to jail and got stuck on a bond revocation. My only way out was to go to rehab or go back to prison,” Joshua said.
“When I first came [to 7 Springs] I didn’t want to be here; I was just here to get my charges dropped. But, God changed my life, and I really, really started working the program.”
When Joshua arrived, he wasn’t much of a believer in God. It was the love and support of the staff that opened his eyes and enabled him to experience God for the first time.
“When I felt it, I ran with it. It’s an amazing feeling.”
During his time at 7 Springs, Joshua learned valuable leadership skills. After three months, he became a dorm leader. He started helping the staff and spending time with others who inspired him to be a better version of himself. Later, he was promoted to head dorm leader. Two weeks before graduating from the program, he became a team leader at work.
All of his relationships started coming into alignment, including those with his soon-to-be wife and their kids. His family now comes to church with him every Sunday, and his children love being with their daddy.
“It feels really good to be able to call my mom and dad, and they don’t have to stress about me asking for money. They don’t have to lose sleep over that late-night phone call that I’m dead or in jail,” Joshua said.
“For anybody who’s going through it, I know it’s tough. Trust me. I never would have thought I’d be here in this spot, but God changed my life. If you start working the program—I promise you—you can be in the same place I am.”
