Ebony K English | Saved, Sober, and Sitting Pretty | Columbia, SC

Ebony K English

Let me introduce you to my friend (Ebony K English) that is saved, sober and sitting pretty!  Her name is Ebony.  She not only reached out to me to celebrate one of the biggest accomplishments I have seen in a while but has been kind enough to provide a guest entry.  I’d like to share her testimony with you from her perspective.

Well hello January 23rd, I’ve been on a life changing journey since I last saw you!!! And as life would have it when the clock struck 12 midnight on January 23rd, 2016 I was in the same location, with some of the same people as I was when I took my last shot of Tequila on January 23rd, 2015.!! So I had no choice but to reflect on how far The Lord has brought me not only in the last 365 days but in life…

Ok so if you all would join me for a moment I would like to share my world with you..

Some have asked why did you stop drinking? Well here goes…

One would think that it was when I went to counseling, or the many times my grandmother has begged me not to drink and drive, or when I blew my tires out (driving drunk) or when my aunt begged me to get help, or the many times I’ve blacked out, and woke up in places not having a clue how I got there, or the countless times I’ve driven under the influence…putting my life and others lives in danger, or going to work or school drunk… Or Sharing my body with men while being under the influence of alcohol. While they are all good reasons to stop drinking unfortunately none of them were good enough for me to give up the very thing that provided numbness to all of the hurt, pain, bitterness, anger and hate that I harbored in my heart for majority of my life!! I was completely comfortable in my dysfunction and alcohol dependency for 12 years… There was no talking me out of it… Although it’s true the enemy does come to kill, steal and destroy however, he is in no rush to do it and sadly little by little over the years I had been mentally reduced to believed that I was my best self while under the influence of alcohol and I wanted to be my “best self” so I continued to drink…

At least until I woke up on January 24th 2015 and my then 7 year old son was standing beside my bed crying, and when he could finally get his words together he asked “mommy were you sick last night” I said “no baby why” before he could answer I got out of bed to comfort him but not before stepping on the floor into my own vomit… Of course this wasn’t the first time I had made a mess after drinking, it however was the first time my son had been a witness…And because of that my next thought was there is no way in hell that having an alcoholic for a mother would be my son’s childhood memories. NO WAY!!! After 12 years, I was DONE!!

You can only imagine “Being Done” was a lot easier said than done though, but today it has been officially one year since I’ve had any alcohol but I must be honest it was the hardest thing I have ever done, but by the grace of God I made it. He was there the entire time, never leaving my side. I’ve learned how to pray on this journey and how to admit when I was struggling. Throughout this journey I have lost people and it was extremely hurtful to see that a lot of people were just attached to the “Turn Up” in me… But early in the process the Holy Spirit lead me to 1 Peter 4 and when I found myself struggling with the absence of friends and associates I was always reminded of verses 1-5.
(Read it) lol..

The process was tough and I wouldn’t change a thing about it… I am proud to be who this process has produced. 1 year down, and forever to go… Ain’t no turning back…And while I may no longer be a cool kid (lol) What I am is Saved, Sober and Sitting Pretty!!!