i told this to another ds member and she said i should share it with others in hopes that it will help some one ,if it helps only one person then it was all worth it. so here goes..my son is 32 yrs old,when he started using drugs im not sure i beleive it was in his late teens.he dropped out of school ,worked at low paying jobs long enough for some drug money,then he started stealing from me. over those yrs he has stolen 4 tvs"s, 2 vcr"s, 2steros,micro wave,jewlwery,money,blank checks,my car. and this is just from me!!! then there was the time i came home from work and once again my stuff was gone ,but this time his bedroom door was closed ,when i opened it a girl was sitting on his bed looking at picture albuns. he had stolen her car and purse. he had traded her car for durgs.the police were called and he ended up in jail. his life was going down the toilet and fast. i had placed him in teen challenge a rehab it cost over $300.00 he left the next day. no refund.he was steeling from anyone he could!!then he robbed a gas station,back to jail,so up until last may he was in and out of jail,or prison for the last eleven yrs.everyone told me to wash my hands of him. but for a mother thats easier sais than done.and i knew thar God would hear my prayers some day.i have had drug dealers pounding on my front door.the police never did show up.ya know i could never understand this ,my son is a very handsome man,he has been told by many people that he should get into modeling,he is very clean cut,and dresses to the 9"s.he works out everyday,no he certanlly does not look the part of a drug addict or inmate or theif,but looks can be deiciving they say. now this brings me to the presantlast may he was released from prison, and on parole,this is when he stole blank checks from me and my dad who lives with me,he of course was caught and arrested ,but he was very lucky ,because his parole officer gave him a choice of going back to jail or doing 6month at a salvation army rehab...well needless to say he took the rehab. when you go to salvation army you have to work and the men usually start on the trucks ,picking up donations,then you work your way up to other jobs with more responsibility,so then he was the front desk manat which they usually wore just everyday clothes but , my son started to wear a shirt and tie,and now it is mandatory.i want to back up for a second andd say wheen he was release last summer he had gotten his ged and a job making $15.00 per hr,got his dl back and bought a used truck,so things were looking good,but then he stayed out allnight when he got a pass and was kicked out of the progrem for one week.once again my heart was broken WHEN WAS ALL THIS GONNA STOP.I HAVE PARKINSONS AND STRESS IS THE WROST THING FOR ME.AND DURING THE TIME THAT MY SON WAS IN PRISON IN 1999 MY OLDEST SON PASSED AWAY,IT WAS ONLY BY THE GRACEOF gOD THAT I MADE IT THOUGH ALL THIS!!SOOOOMY SON WENT BACK TO THE PROGRAM AWORKED HIS WAY BACK UP THE LATTER AGAIN,THEN HE WAS PROMOTED UP TO HOUSE MAN,HE HAS HIS OWN ROOM /WITH A LOCK.NOW I WILL BRING YOU UP TO MOTHERS DAY 2007. I WENT TO CHURCH THAT MORNING WITH MY SON AT THE CENTER THE SERVICE WAS WONDERFUL,THEY HAD A GUEST SPEAKER SHE IS AN ELDERLY BLACK WOMAN WHO JUST TELLS IT LIKE IT IS. SHE ALSO TEACHES DRUG CLASSES AT THE CENTER.DURING CHURCH THEY HAVE A TIME WHEN SOME OF THE MEN STAND TO TESTIFY,MY SON STOOD UP AND WHEN HIS TURN CAME HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID MOM 32 YRS AGO YOU GAVE BITH TO ME,AND HE STARTED TO CRY ,ALL THE MEN ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ONE ANOTHER SO THEY GAVE HIM THE TIME TO GET IT TOGETHER, HE WENT ON..AND I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVED MEAND I HAVE DONE NOHIG BUT BREAK YOU HEART,I HAVE DRUG YOU TO THE PITS OH HELL AND BACK WITH ME SO TODAY OM MOTHERS DAY IN FRONT OF GOD AND THIS WHOLE CHURCH IWANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I PROMISE I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.THERE WERE A LOT OF TEARS. SO WHEN THE SEVICE WAS DONE PASTOR ASKED THAT HIS WIFE AND THE SPEAKER AND ME GO TO THE HALL THERE WERE THREE CHAIRS THERE AND EVERYONE THAT WAS AT CHUCH GAVE US A KISS AND WISHED US HAPPY MOTHERS DAY,I WAS SO TOUCHED BUT WHAT REALLY TOUCHED ME WAS THE FACT THAT SEVERAL MEN BLACK,WHITE,HISPANIC TOLD ME WHAT A WONDERFUL MAN MY SON WAS AND DHOW HE HAD HELPED THEM JUST BY LISTENIG AND PRAYING,I WAS CRYING AGAIN.WHEN THAT WAS OVERTHE SPEAKER TURNED TO ME AND SAID HAD I NOTICED A CHANGE IN MY SON I SAID YES HE HAS BEEN MORE CARING ,HELPFUL,LOVING AND KINDER TO HIS SISTER (WHICH IS A WHOLE OTHER STORY) AND SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD TOO THAT WHEN HE COMES IN THE ROOM FOR CLASS IT S AS THOUGH YOU CAN JUST FEEL THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT SURROUNDS HIM, PRAISE GOD ,THEN WE GO TO THE DINNING ROOM AND PASTOR COMES UP TO ME AND SAYS THERES SOMETHING GOING ON WITH YOUR SON,I SAID IT BETTR BE GOOD HE SAID ,IT WAS ALL GOOD HE SEEMS TO BE GOING SPIRITUALLY HE SAID ,HAD I NOTICE, YES I HAVE NOTICED.I LOVE MY SON I KNEW THAT WASHING MY HANDS OF HIM WAS NOT THE ANSWERE CUZ GOD HAS A PLAN FOR HIM I DON"T KNOW WHAT IT IS ONLY THE LORD KNOWS BUT I CONTINUE TO PRAY THAT MY SON FOLLOWS THE LORDAND THAT HE CAN USE WHAT HE HAS BEEN THOUGH TO HELP OTHERS WHICH IS WHAT I THINK IS WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO,I PRAISE GOD I HOPE THAT THIS STORY HAS GIVEN SOME ONE THAT RAY OF HOPE THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR.