My Restoration Story - Everyone has a story
I shared recently that in April 2025, I will have been ten years sober. I give thanks and praise to God for this victory, but behind the curtain of this accomplishment, let me share a few details along the road of my Restoration Story.
First, let me share that I was blessed with a great family. A mom and dad who loved me and raised me in a Bible Teaching church, where I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was 6 years old during Summer Bible School in very rural Wisconsin. Church, Faith, and family were everything. This was an excellent foundation for my Faith Journey.
In my 20s, I moved to Minnesota, married my wonderful wife Mary, raised three kids, and now have six grandkids. Life is good… THEN
Around age 40, I began to let alcohol become more a part of my life, where most times I was good, but sometimes not as good. I was still involved in church, and my faith was important, BUT there was a growing ISSUE. Alcohol is one of those things that I believe compromises ambitions, un-filters comments and emotions regarding life, and is a demon when life is stressful. AND… let’s just say “no one crashes a car when they have had too many Big-Macs, but alcohol… say no more.”
So this all came to a disastrous night of INFAMY in my life in August 1984, just before our 30th Wedding Anniversary, where I was fueled by rage over a difficult work situation, angry at others, to the point where I was overwhelmed and was drinking while doing business from home with a TO HELL WITH IT attitude. It came to a head one evening after a couple of over-the-top, stressful, frustrating days, until I lost it. My wife, Mary, was mad at me for good reason, and I slapped her. She drove to see a friend, and I drove off drunk and in a rage. I blacked out and don't know how I got home. Mary came home, could not wake me, 911 was called, they pumped my stomach, I could have died.
I woke up in the hospital, realized what had been going on, and my wife and son Nathan were there with me. I was broken, so ashamed. After I was released to go home, the journey to recovery began. I scheduled meetings with a Christian counselor, and I worked on my marriage, and I was sincerely remorseful for this great fall. I even promised to quit drinking, but it took 9 months for me to stop completely. Though I said I did in August 2014, I finally did for good after one last drinking relapse in April 2015.
But God was not done working on me. I ended up in the hospital shortly after this with an emotional breakdown of sorts. After only 2 days out of the hospital, the IRS came after my business for unpaid back taxes and locked my personal and business finances. THIS IS WHERE I FOUND THE BOTTOM.
Well, the literal bottom was where I would go in my basement in the summer of 2015 to weep and cry out loud to God for answers literally. WELL, THIS IS WHERE THE LESSONS WERE FOUND... IN GOD’S SILENCE.
I prayed for answers, bags full of money, or a winning lottery ticket. I spoke to my pastor, who would say, "What if you lose it all, but you have your family and your faith… then you will be just fine." That’s not the answer I was looking for. I wanted a Benevolent fund for those who don’t pay their taxes. But my pastor was correct, MY BUSINESS, and even my HOME mattered little as long as I got bearings back with God and did right by my wife and family to earn their trust again.
My wife and family loved me through it all, and my faith in God grew again. So, I sold my business to pay off the hounds of Hell working for the IRS. We sold our home and rented a house for a few years as we figured out the next steps. Note: Through it all my wife was Amazing, though I know this all was difficult for her.
This was a journey where I learned to replace those times I would drink. Sad, tired, happy, and all the emotions of the day had been good times to drink, but no longer. Instead, I got into my Bible daily, and since the summer of 2015, I have read through my Bible once a year, and have read more Christian books these last 10 years than I did the previous 57. I have learned so much through podcasts and sermons online, and spending real time in prayer.
My brain was very much like where Jesus taught about the room where the demon was cast out (in my case, alcohol), but was left open, only to have more demons come storming in. So I have learned the importance of keeping my room (head & heart) filled with more Godly thoughts and prayers. I am no Bible scholar, but I would not say I am either Bible-Illiterate. I even learned to appreciate Leviticus.
Now my journey is not perfect just because I don't drink anymore, and I am not foolish enough to think I couldn’t slip up, but it is 10 years sober in April 2025. I am 67 and obviously have NOT figured it all out, and am sometimes that GET OFF MY LAWN kinda guy, but my God and my wife (in that order) are both patient with me.
Life is good, God is great, and I have experienced RESTORATION. I AM REDEEMED for this life and the next. Thanks for your patience in reading my restoration ramble.
Note: Here I will confess the obvious. I wish I did not have an alcohol problem that required a ‘Restoration Story’. It is embarrassing, but I am thankful that God has restored me, and the reason I share my story is to encourage anyone reading this that no matter your mistakes, you can be restored. Seek God, get right with Him, follow His will, be faithful, give up those old ways, and be RESTORED.
May God bless and lead each of you on your journey. Be sure your priorities are God and family in that order. Be in God’s Word, pray always, and seek God’s will, and in all you do, do it as unto the Lord.
Blessings
Jeff (Restoration Project) Larson
