Pubdate: Fri, 28 Sep 2007
Source: Walton Tribune, The (GA)
Copyright: 2007 The Walton Tribune
Contact: http://waltontribune.com/letter.lasso
Website: http://waltontribune.com/index.lasso
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3967
Author: Sharon Swanepoel
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

RECALLING METH SUCCESS STORIES

I would like to again share one of the good stories about
drug-addiction recovery I previously wrote about.

It's the good ones I prefer to remember.

This one started with two sets of grandparents, each  concerned for
the safety of their shared grandchildren.  Their children, married to
each other, were addicted to  methamphetamines and the local law
enforcement had  already been called in because of a domestic
disturbance incident resulting from the drug abuse.

On the advice of one of the police officers, the  grandparents jointly
met with a local drug abuse  activist about their concerns. The
activist in turn  referred them to a local faith-based drug recovery
program. The grandparents managed to convince their  children, with
the help of an activist and counselor,  that the program was necessary
- -- for the sake of the  grandchildren.

The couple battling the addiction began the program,  intent on trying
to get off this highly addictive drug  that was ruining their lives
and endangering their  children. They decided, at the urging of the
counselor,  to go to a local church to see if bringing God back  into
their lives would help. Arriving late on Sunday  morning, four seats
were found in a pew for the couple  and their two children. When they
slid into the seats,  the husband reached across to shake the
outstretched  hand being offered to him by a member of the church
congregation. When he looked up at the person behind  the outstretched
hand, he found himself looking into  the eyes of the very policeman
who had first come out  on that domestic disturbance call.

At the end of the service, the man asked the policeman  if he would
watch the children for a minute while he  and his wife went up for the
altar call. The officer  said his wife would watch the children so he
could  accompany the couple up to the front of the church for  the
altar call. When the couple left the church, the  officer and his wife
were waiting outside to take them  all out to lunch.

The story had come full circle. What started with a  lawman, ended
with the lawman -- only in a church  instead of a prison.

But all the cogs in the wheel were necessary to  complete this
circle.

Part of the drug recovery program required that this  couple contact
people who played a key role or made a  positive impact in their
lives. Needless to say, the  policeman, the activist, the counselor
and I assume  their parents were on that list. And that is when they
each learned the part they had played.

I know this story to be true because of the people who  told it to me.
The activist was Janie Fulghum of  Mothers Against Methamphetamine of
Loganville and  Walton County, the counselor was Wayne Sosebee of
Reformers Unanimous and the policeman was from the  Loganville Police
Department.

Hillary Clinton said it takes a village to raise a  child. I believe
it will take a series of villages to  eradicate this meth epidemic
threatening our  communities. In this story the village was
Loganville.  Makes you proud, doesn't it?

Let's hope we continue to find the resources to keep  this epidemic at
bay.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Steve Heath