|
 My name is Maria. I am 33 years old. I was born in Ukraine and for 10 years of my life I’ve used drugs. I come from a family of unbelievers. When the USSR fell I was 14 years old. Many friends of mine became involved with the hippie lifestyle which included such things as rock music, various Eastern pagan religions such as Buddhism and various others which supported the philosophy of writers like Carlos Castaneda and others of his ilk. Of course marijuana was an integral part of what we then called „freedom”. We overlooked the fact that many of our rock idols died as a result of an overdose of drugs. At the age of 17 I married a guy from within our group of friends and some time after gave birth to a child. One year later we immigrated to Israel. In the beginning everything was fine. Both of us had jobs and my husband started to study at university. But soon I discovered that my husband, Dima, had been using ecstasy and subsequently heroin. After short period I also tried heroin. Two years later Dima died as a result of an overdose. By that time I was already fully addicted to drugs. During the span of those 10 years I tried repeatedly to stop, with medical assistance, but this addiction was more powerful than I was. Social services took my son. I realized that so long as I was hooked on drugs, I couldn’t be a good mother to my child anymore. I couldn’t think about anything but drugs. Eventually I found myself in the central bus station in Tel Aviv with a number of other drug addicts like myself. At that time I actually envied my husband because he was dead and no longer has to live with this torture anymore. Once, while I was sitting on the street experiencing withdrawal symptoms, I cried out to God and said: „God please, if you exist, take me from this world or change something in my life.” I believe that God heard me then. After short period of time I found myself in the rehab center at the monastery, in Haifa. I remember that most of all I was surprised by the goodwill of people there. Soon I received Jesus Christ as my God and Saviour. It changed my life completely. I felt forgiveness, joy and the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. After completing the rehab process I served God in the rehab center. God blessed me and I got married. Now our new born daughter is 8 months old. God gave us back my older son. I know that God takes care of me daily and this gives me such a joy and pleasure, that no drugs in this world can give. Thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ and glory to Him forever.
|
