Harold Keller / L’Observateur / March 29, 2000

While speaking to a group of recovering illegal-drug addicts and alcoholics, I shared with them what I consider is the secret to staying straight. If you want to enjoy a drug-free life, it’s important for you totell your story to other people with problems.

There is nothing more powerful than a personal testimony. It gives peoplehope that what God did for you, He will do for them. It encourages peopleto make a decision to lead a better life.

I ended my talk by saying that there is no drug that will get you as high as when someone you reached out to will tell you, many years later, that because of your testimony, their life was changed. It’s not that you wereresponsible for the change, but God used you as an instrument to touch someone else. “Believe me,” I said, “no amount of money, and no drug,legal or illegal, will give you such a high. It’s one of the greatest feelingsin the world.”After my talk, Jeanne and I stopped at the Taco Bell in Mandeville. In lineahead of us was a young couple with two children. After a while, the younglady asked me if I was from LaPlace. I told her that I was and she said,”My family is from LaPlace and you came to our house about 12 years ago to talk to my dad. My dad was having a serious drinking problem and youcame and talked to him. “How is he doing?” I asked. She smiled and said,”Great! He’s been sober ever since then.”I don’t remember the young lady, her father, or the visit. In fact, thatreally doesn’t make any difference. The only thing that I know is that Godused me to share my testimony and, because of it, a family was spared the evils of alcohol abuse.

As Jeanne and I sat to eat, I was on a real high! Nothing can make a person feel better than knowing God changed someone by using you. I wasreminded that the secret of living is giving – in this case, my testimony.

Harold Keller writes this column as a part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group.

Copyright © #Thisyear# Wick Communications, Inc.Best viewed with 4.0 or higher