This was originally posted by Judy under alcoholism/drugs, but I thought it would be helpful to also post it here. Moderator

Mama is here. My son became an alcoholic and his life was totally out of
control. He was writing hot checks all over Texas, charged his credit
card to the max and mine too and could not hold down a job. I tried to
play God. I thought I could help him by picking up the hot checks,
paying his credit card debt, paying his rent and provide whatever he
needed. He remained out of control and continued to drink but did not
admit he had a problem. Well maybe he didn't think he had a problem but
I had a problem. I'm going to be living at the poor farm if this continues.

So I talked to God about him and I was literally telling God what to do
for him. Like God needed my instruction..no he didn't. I thought I was
helping God by advising him as to what my son needed. Mama knows what
her son needs, doesn't she? Ha! My son continued to be out of control.
Well, the day came when someone told me that I must turn him over to the
Lord and get out of the way. Now this wasn't easy for me. I said "I am
his mama and I know best for my son". So I continued doing it "my way"
for a while longer. I was so frustrated and could see nothing was
working. So I began to think, maybe God did not need mama to help. Maybe
God could work better with my son if I would let him have the control. I
got down on my knees one night and visualized placing my son in my hands
and lifted him up to my Heavenly Father and told God that here he is, I
give him back to you to do WHATEVER you need to do with him to get him
on the right path. Now the possible WHATEVER was scary to me.

Well, when God takes over things happen. The very next morning, my son
called me and admitted he was an alcoholic and needed help. What a
miracle. Well, mama said I can handle this. I will help you. I know just
who to call. You see here I go again taking over the reigns in the
situation. So I called a wonderful man at church who had started a
program for alcoholics and been an alcoholic himself and I told him my
son had called and admitted he was an alcoholic and wanted help. This
dear man told me "Now mama you have to get out of the way, if your son
wants help, he must call me himself". So I did step back and I told my
son what he said to do if he really wanted help. My son called my dear
friend from church and he spent all day with my son, took him to his
first AA meeting, bought him his AA books and lunch. See my son had no
money for lunch. He worked with my son all day and it has been about 15
years since my son has had a drink.

So the moral to this story is to let go of your loved one and let God
take over. He can handle your loved one and he doesn't need you. See he
loves that person MORE than you do. Praise God. He wants the best for
him/her. Let go and let God handle it. You just trust God and rest in
his arms. He has all the bases covered.