Brett O’Keefe died at age 18 from an accidental mixed drug overdose. If you’ve heard his heart wrenching story, you’ve probably wondered how the family survives. Winning The Fight! is part of the answer.
We as humans are promised that we will never be given more than we can handle. This seems quite unfair to families that have experienced such tragedy as the O’Keefe’s. Yet every day, here they are, somehow, surviving.
“For everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4.
When I think of the word “endurance” physical activity first comes to mind. If you’re a marathon runner, you know it’s the runner’s high that carries you through to the finish line. Just when the pain of running is no longer bearable, endorphins are released into the brain. The supernatural power supplies the strength to endure the pain. As human beings we are all hardwired with this “fight or flight” built in us. Although the science may be different, emotional endurance is some of the same. The instant (but temporary) gratification that comes from giving up is a temptation we must resist when emotional times are the hardest. Keeping your purpose and end goal in mind will help push you through this.
If physical endurance is the product of pushing through the hardest of times athletically, then emotional endurance can be the product of pushing through the hardest of times mentally. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” While holding onto the serenity prayer, we must allow ourselves to walk through the grieving process whenever faced with tragedy. You cannot move forward until you’ve acknowledged the pain you are currently enduring and work through it. Without this, we cannot fulfill God’s purposes in our lives. Winning The Fight! is the product of a grieving family that held on tight to the serenity prayer and found endurance to fight. With faith they have taken their tragedy and use it to help educate and provide encouragement to others battling the disease of addiction.
Lori
Lori Youngblood is a recovering drug addict. Her mission is to help others gain knowledge about the disease of addiction.
