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 Cecil
Graham’s father left home when Cecil was 3 years
old. From that time on his mother raised him. Church
was a part of their life. He remembers that his mother
made a big change in her life when he was about 12
years old. She made a commitment to Jesus Christ that
transformed her. Realizing the positive change in
her life, Cecil sought a relation with Christ too.
Cecil had a lot of freedom in a single parent home.
He did not handle the freedom well. He acted in ways
that were immoral. To get away from the influence
of his mother, he filed a complaint against her charging
abuse. The court put him in a group home.
Within a short time he was using drugs. At 17 he
was arrested for burglary. He spent a year in jail
for this infraction. Out of fear he reached out to
God. He began to read the Bible. He developed a friendship
with an older man in the prison. He reestablished
a positive relation with his mother. When released
from prison, he stayed with his mother.
He started going to church again. At the same time
he continued using drugs. At 22, Cecil began using
harder drugs such as cocaine. He had a good job but
lost it because his job performance was eroding.
He continued living with his mother and attempted
to change his life. He again sought to have a relation
with Christ. At 25 years of age he married and turned
his back on God. He began to use crack while his marriage
fell apart. Cecil again attempted to straighten up
his life.
He joined the U S Navy. He began to drink as a group
activity. After one evening of heavy drinking, he
was pulled over for Driving Under the Influence. He
went AWOL then turned himself in after 30 days. He
reestablished a relation with his wife. However, the
marriage fell apart after a year. For several years,
Cecil’s life continued in turmoil.
For two years prior to entering CityTeam Ministries
Recovery program he used Crystal Meth, a very hard
drug. Not only did his physical health suffer during
this time, he had many hallucinations. The most important
relation in his life fell apart. He and his mother
became estranged. He came to the point in his life
that everything seemed hopeless. He cried out to God
that he had enough.
From that cry came a call to someone he had worked
with who had been on drugs himself. Cecil shared his
pain with him. The man had been in CityTeam’s
Recovery program. He recommended that Cecil join the
program. Cecil believes that his life would have ended
without the opportunity to enter the program.
The two years he spent at CityTeam gave him time
to heal. He found strength through being part of a
group of men seeking the same freedom from addiction
that he experienced. He worshipped God in a new way.
He had time to reflect on his life and what went wrong.
He also reestablished his relation with Christ and
found a new understanding of God’s Word. He
learned to trust in a new way.
Cecil has a job and is married and active in a church.
He is in a 12-step program and a men’s support
group. Prior to this he never had fellowship with
godly men.
He regularly returns to CityTeam for fellowship,
ministry and to express his appreciation for what
the people of CityTeam Ministries shared with him.
On Saturday, February 28th, Cecil Graham will receive
a certificate as an Honorary Graduate from Seattle
CityTeam Ministries.
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