Confessions of a Pastor: I lied

You read it right.... I lied

Its not just a little lie, its actually a lie I've lived in for the last thirteen years and I need to confess it.

I was an alcoholic.  When I was 19 years old I would throw down an 18 pack, forgot most of what I did that night, wake up, drink a beer on my way to work and do it all over again.  My drinking helped me loose a bunch of friends, forget my dumb choices, make a bunch of horrible choices, total my truck and led me to jail on a few occasions.

On February 14th 2000 I was released from Vista County Jail and that day I made a commitment (plea) to God if He got to me out I would never drink or do drugs again.  As tough as that commitment was I actually did really well... for two months.

Then Spring Break hit and my sister and I went to Mazatlan to visit my uncle who lived down there.  I did really well for the first day but on the second, maybe third, day we were sitting in the bar getting ready for dinner when my uncle ordered a bucket of beers.  As I sat at the table watching everyone else drink a cold beer I couldn't help myself; I really wanted one.  I did pretty well for the first couple minutes but then it happened; I asked for a beer.  My sister looked at me with the look that says: "Don't do it brother, you know where that takes you."  She was right.  She saw how low my addiction had taken me.  She saw me loose everything in a matter of months.  She saw the agony I put my family through.  She saw first hand what my addiction had done to my life and to those I loved.

On April 20th I took a sip of beer, then another.  I had a choice to make that day: would I drink beer again or would I honor my commitment to God?

After two sips I realized that beer had "lost its taste" to me.  It actually repulsed me and I couldn't stand that taste.  I passed my beer on to someone else, repented and haven't consumed an alcoholic beverage in the last (almost) thirteen years.

Now I didn't have to confess this but for most of my Christian walk I have always used February 14th 2000 as my sobriety date.  This came crashing in my face last year when I was invited to get my twelve year chip.  I couldn't take a chip two months early for something I hadn't earned.  It was at that moment I had to confess this but its been weighing on my heart so bad that I needed to get it out and honestly its been pretty tough to get this out since pastors aren't supposed to lie.

I lied

My sobriety date isn't February 14th 2000 but its actually April 20th 2000.  I still look at February 14th as the date God saved me from my life of turmoil but I needed to get the truth out.

Will you please forgive me?