The Most Excellent Way

Testimonies

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks
you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect . . ."
1 Peter 3:15 NIV

Science is defined as “knowledge.” I’ve always assumed scientists are smarter than I am, because they have university degrees and a bunch of letters after their names. I acknowledge that they must have higher intelligence quotients (IQs) than I do, but does that make them right about everything?

What can uneducated people do if they don’t agree with so-called scientific conclusions about a given topic? RESEARCH! Scientific study is research.

I’m not a scientist, but I’m going to attempt to “scientifically analyze” my alcohol addiction using the basic procedure high-school science students are taught: O.P.E.C. (not the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Companies).

The O.P.E.C. procedure is:
1. Observe – check out the question or problem
2. Predict – hypothesize (make a good guess)
3. Experiment – is my guess correct?
4. Conclude – put the pieces together to figure out what’s really going on

By using the O.P.E.C. method, I can look back and record my experience objectively (deal with facts without distortion by my personal feelings or prejudices). I’ve realized that for most of my life I have made decisions based on how I feel. Because feelings change, I decided I needed to analyze my life — and my “alcoholism” — objectively. And because I don’t agree with the experts about alcoholism being a disease, I decided to be as scientific as possible in my analysis.

THE PROBLEM:
When I finally reached the point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired of hangovers, violent fights with my husband, loss of self-respect, and the lack of willpower to change my life, there was only one possible solution for me at the time — in-patient rehab.

OBSERVATION:
I’m addicted to alcohol — I’m a victim of my disease. The medical doctor’s diagnosis was “acute brain disorder.” The diagnosis was necessary in order to obtain insurance coverage for in-house treatment.

PREDICTION:
I’m going to die an alcoholic if I don’t change my thinking and behavior — I must ABSTAIN from drinking!

EXPERIMENT:
* Stopped drinking after AA meeting for two days.
* Craved alcohol; couldn’t go without it; too painful.
* Volunteered for in-patient treatment: dry-out, ingest mega doses of vitamin    B-complex.
* Indoctrination and written exercises in 12-step “therapy” for my disease; and   physical/recreational therapy (walked the hospital hallways and painted Christmas ornaments).
* Participated in daily group therapy sessions with psychologist and other disease victims to explore events of the past to determine the cause of my disease — talked, talked, talked about my feelings because someone was willing to listen.
* Voluntarily used prescription drug Antabuse (disulfiram) as insurance for not drinking.
* Attended AA regular weekly meetings to receive peer support for sobriety (30 meetings in 30 days upon release)
* Followed 12-steps to change my thinking (spiritual awakening) and worked to remove my character defects.
* Turned my life over to a higher power of my choice to obtain necessary strength to stay on path of recovery for the rest of my natural life.
* Was willing to engage in cognitive (thinking) psychotherapy (if necessary) to prevent relapse.

CONCLUSION:
* I am an alcoholic.
* Alcoholism is a disease with no cure.
* I must abstain from alcohol to avoid instant relapse — reactivation of my addiction. My brain remembers when I had my last drink, and it’s waiting to be triggered.
* Abstinence is only possible by attending AA meetings, and having a sponsor to guide and support my recovery by working the 12-steps.
* There is power in sobriety — I am master of my fate as long as I follow the AA way of sobriety.
* Morality is judged by sobriety; the longer I am sober the more morally superior I am — my self-esteem and self-respect levels increase.
* My recovery and sobriety must be at the center of all decisions I make for changes in my lifestyle. No major lifestyle changes should be made for the first year — I must first adjust to sobriety and train myself to live sober.
* If I slip or relapse, I must begin recovery again at square one.
* I will swallow Antabuse daily as insurance — I fear the severe physical side effects resulting from mixing alcohol with the drug.
* I miss my Myer’s Rum — I crave the taste.
* Life is boring.
* I “recovered” my sobriety, acquired a new fear that I would relapse.
* I will ultimately die an alcoholic — I have an incurable disease!

This OPEC analysis of my change from being a drunk to becoming sober by abstaining through AA indoctrination and practice is an accurate analysis from my perspective (all researchers and practitioners have their own way of analyzing problems).

I wasn’t a good joiner, and didn’t like going to AA meetings on a regular basis. My peers were sincere about working their program, but I wasn’t comfortable being expected to rehash my past and personal experiences. And I soon tired of hearing the same war stories over and over again. (I didn’t much like the swearing either, but who was I to complain — I had a dirty mouth.)

My unwillingness to wholeheartedly participate in the structured, continuous recovery may be because of my natural independent nature. I followed the program my own way and in my own time. Nonetheless, I remained sober for three months using Antabuse until …

THE PROBLEM:
I’m sober, but I’m angry all the time. My marriage is still on the rocks. I fear relapse. My family is obsessed with Jesus! Life is dull and colorless. No pleasure! No fun! Is this all there is? I want more! I want peace! I ... I ... I!

OBSERVATION:
God says I am a sinner, spiritually dead and eternally separated from Him.
My addiction is a symptom of my sin nature.
He has a plan for redeeming my life for His purpose.
He promises more than “sobriety” — He promises new life!

PREDICTION:
If I believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, as the complete payment for my sinful state, my life will change for forever ... My disease of sin will be healed if I surrender my life to Jesus.

EXPERIMENT:
* God called me by name and simply said: “Accept My Son.”
* I responded reluctantly, obediently: “Okay, I accept Your Son!”
* Agreed to go to church with my husband two weeks later — somehow I knew I must “surrender” to the “urge.”
* Heard and understood the pastor’s message of God’s love for me, and His plan of salvation, as though the pastor was speaking directly and only to me.
* Became emotionally overwhelmed by God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance.
* Left the building with profound hope and strong, irresistible desire for more of God’s Word; went directly to tape library to sign-up.
* Attended Sunday morning and evening services every week thereafter.
* Stopped ingesting Antabuse the next day — no craving or desire for rum.
* Attended Thursday night services.
* Listened to my pastor on the radio every day.
* Recorded/transcribed Bible lessons.
* Irresistible urge to tell everyone about salvation by faith in Jesus.

CONCLUSION:
* God was right!
* God IS right! His Word says I am a sinner saved by His mercy and grace.
* I am forever a new, spiritual creation in Christ! The old is gone, the new has come! (And it still keeps coming and coming!)
* Perfect love casts out fear!
* God is Love!

Using the “scientific” OPEC method helped me to clarify the differences between “recovery” and sanctification.

Recovery is a medical term and is limited to the physical/material body (the flesh). Recovery is what we do for ourselves — working hard to abstain from addictive behavior.

Sanctification is what God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) does for us —
helping us to abstain from sin. God is preparing our immortal souls for eternity with Him.

Are you in recovery or in Jesus?
Are you following the crowd or are you following Jesus?
Are you being conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus?

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all ... are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV

EDDIE ECHARRI ~ Pensacola, Florida

Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Eddie was an altar boy in the Catholic Church before being dismissed for getting drunk on stolen parish wine. By the age of 15, he was a school drop-out, stealing cars and selling drugs, which led to a $400-a-day drug habit.

Eddie sold drugs for the Gotti crime family. He nearly lost his life in a shootout with the New York City Police when he jumped out a third story window to avoid capture, landing hard on the street - his lumbar vertebrae was broken in five places and both ankles fractured. Eddie has served time in Attica and Sing Sing for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and drug dealing.

During his last prison term, he began calling a friend in Pensacola who invited Eddie to stay with him and his family, but Eddie would have to stop using drugs and cursing because they were born-again Christians. Eddie was a little leery of his friend's "fanatical beliefs."

Upon his release, Eddie returned to his $400-a-day heroine habit. Then a drunk driver killed his young niece, and he decided to move far away from the heartaches and temptations of the New York City streets. He accepted his friend's offer. Eddie determined to kick the heroin habit by going "cold turkey" - he didn't sleep for 13 days. In pain and despair, he called out to God, he read his friend's Bible, and he went to church. Six months later he committed his life to Christ.