Sunday night, I spoke at a drug rehabilitation center in Mandeville.

Nine of the 23 men in attendance admitted to intravenously using heroin. They were all young men and agreed their drug use started with marijuana, graduated to stronger mind-altering chemicals and now heroin.

I asked if they ever thought their casual drug use at an early age would lead to this. “Never!” they unanimously answered.

That proves drug use will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.

One of the nine wanted to talk to me after the meeting.

“I’m married, separated, have three children, and am now living with my girlfriend,” he said.

He showed me a letter he had written to his wife asking for forgiveness and sharing he wanted to change. The letter was three legal pages long. He told his wife to take care of the children, because he loved them so much. After a little more discussion in which he shared about his drug use and how sorry he was, he asked what I thought. I tried to be compassionate, but didn’t succeed.

I told him it was impossible to love his children or any one else. He asked me how I could say that.

“It was easy,” I said. “You show me a man who doesn’t love himself and I’ll show you a man who doesn’t love any one.”

I then asked if he wanted his three boys to grow up and become the man that he is.

“No, I want them to be better than I am,” he said.

I shared the Bible says the sins of a father will be handed down to his children and grandchildren, unless he breaks the curse, it’s possible that they will become as he is or worse.

I suggested he accept his responsibilities as a husband. I told him to ask God to heal his marriage and help him to be the man God wanted him to become.

I’ll plan to see him again this week.

If you have any questions, or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call (985) 652-4877 or e-mail hkeller@comcast.net.