Introduction
Tom was toughened by life at an early age. Abandoned by father and mother, he became a fighter. Yet one day this fighter surrendered to God. Although his battle was not over, he now served in a different war. He traded his firearms for spiritual weapons, and gave up his dependence upon drugs and alcohol. Tom found new courage that came from walking with God.
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Tom's Courage – From Fear to Faith
They say that your impression of God is strongly based on your relationship with your father. If this is true, I started out behind the 8-ball. My father was a punisher. I still have occasional panic attacks on my way home from work because it reminds me of when my father used to wait in the house for me and my siblings after school. If he decided we weren't disciplined enough, he would beat us as we walked through the door. He would then send us to bed without supper. (I think that is where I picked up my lifelong struggle with food issues).
My father did not have the best upbringing either. When he was 5-years-old, my grandfather sent him and his brother and sister to the movies and then proceeded to blow a hole in my grandmother's head. He left the 3 kids alone and on their own, and headed for Arizona. My father ended up hating God, but before he died, he gave his heart to the Lord. My mother did also.
Alone in the World
When I was 9 my father joined a cult and left us. My mom fell in love with another man, but she at least came around every couple of weeks and made sure we had food. Other than that we were on our own.
So that's the basics of my childhood; what follows is my war story. I got high for the first time when I was 9 or 10, lost my virginity at the age of 11 (I knew exactly what I was doing but didn't realize the importance of abstinence). I began a daily drug habit that lasted until I hit rehab at the ripe old age of 17 (or 16 years and 51 weeks). I actually remember telling my friends the old Cheech and Chong line, "my goal in life is to be an ex-junkie at the age of 12."
