I REMEMBER MY FIRST NIGHT
ON THE STREET.
AND IT WAS COLD OUT THAT
NIGHT.
AND I REMEMBER GOING TO A
PLAYGROUND AND TRYING TO
HUDDLE UP IN THE JUNGLE
GYM.
I SEEN A TRASH CAN OFF IN
THE DISTANCE.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S
PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO GO
TAKE THELINER FRO THE LINER
FROM THAT TRASH CAN AND
SLEEP INSIDE THE PLASTIC.
Reporter: AS A BY,
MATTHEW PROBABLY NEVER
THOUGHT HE WOULD END UP LIKE
THIS, BUT HE DID.
MATTHEW GREW UP NEAR
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.
HE HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIS FATHER, WHO WAS A
FIREFIGHTER AND LATER A
PASTOR.
BUT HE DIDN'T FEEL THE SAME
ABOUT HIS MOTHER.
SHE WOULD PUT ME BEHIND A
DOOR WITH LEGOS AND LEAVE ME
THERE AND NOT EVEN TALK TO
ME.
IT REALLY PUT ME IN A PLACE
WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS MEANT
TO BE ABANDONED AND
REJECTED.
Reporter: EVENTUALLY
HIS MOTHER LEFT.
HIS FATHER LATER REMARRIED,
AND MATTHEW FINALLY BEGAN TO
OPEN UP TO HIS STEPMOTHER,
BUT THEN SHE WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH A TERMINAL ILLNESS.
I REALLY TOOK A
SELF-PERSPECTIVE LIKE I'M
BEING ABANDONED AGAIN.
IT MADE THOSE WALLS GO RIGHT
BACK UP.
Reporter: AFTER LOSING
A MOTHER FOR THE SECOND
TIME, MATTHEW, WHO WAS NOW
IN HIGH SCHOOL, TURNED TO
DRUGS TO EASE THE PAIN.
I FELT HURT.
I FELT LOST.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO
DO.
BUT I KNEW, YOU KNOW, FOR
ME, AT THAT AGE, GOING TO
CHURCH DIDN'T WORK FOR ME.
WHAT WORKED WAS, YOU KNOW,
PUTTING A HAZE IN FRONT OF
ME SO THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO
DEAL WITH REALITY.
Reporter: MATTHEW SOLD
DRUGS AS A TEENAGER AND THEN
MOVED ON TO STEALING CARS.
ONE NIGHT I WAS AT A
PARTY, AND I WAS GETTING
DRUNK, AND THERE WAS A
GENTLEMAN THAT SAID, OH, YOU
KNOW, I HAVE A BUDDY WHO
RUNS A CHOP SHOP.
AND THEY NEED A NISSAN.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE
$1500 FOR THE PERSON THAT
GETS IT.
THAT'S LIKE THREE WEEKS
WORTH OF SELLING DOPE.
Reporter: AFTER SEVERAL
YEARS OF STEALING CARS, HE
WAS ARRESTED AND SENT TO
PRISON.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS
LIFE, HIS CONSCIENCE STARTED
TO BOTHER HIM.
WHEN I WAS IN PRISON, I
HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO
REFLECT AND THINK ABOUT THE
THINGS THAT I HAD DONE, THE
PEOPLE THAT I HAD HURT, AND
IT CONSUMED ME.
Reporter: WHEN HE WAS
RELEASED, MATTHEW DECIDED HE
NO LONGER WANTED TO STEAL
CARS.
WITH NO INFLUX OF CASH, HE
LOOKED FOR A CHEAP WAY TO
GET HIGH, AND FOUND ONE,
HEROIN.
THREE MONTHS INTO
SHOOTING HEROIN, I FOUND
MYSELF WITH NOTHING, BROKE
AND HOMELESS.
I HAD LIONELL FINALLY
REACHED THE PLACE I LONGED:
HOMELESS, STRUNG OUT ON
DOPE, SLEEPING IN A TRASH
CAN LINER, AND THE PLASTIC
KEPT ME WARM.
BUT IT SMELLED LIKE TRASH.
AND I REMEMBER THINKING TO
MYSELF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS
WHERE YOU BELONG.
THIS IS WHAT YOU DESERVE.
Reporter: ONE EVENING
MATTHEW WAS OUTLOOKING FOR
HIS NEXT FIX.
I WAS WALKING NORTHBOUND
ON SIXTH AVENUE, AND I
STARTED PRAYING, SAYING, YOU
KNOW, LORD, PLEASE, JUST
GIVE ME $10 SO I CAN BUY A
SHOT OF DOPE.
AND I LOOK
OFF
IN THE
DISTANCE, AND I SEE
SOMETHING THAT LOOKS TO BE
CURRENCY.
IN ABOUT 10 YARDS I COULD
SEE A 10 ON IT.
AND IT'S A $10 BILL.
AND I SAID, THERE IS A GOD.
MY WHOLE LIFE I'M WAITING
FOR YOU TO SHOW YOURSELF,
AND HERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW
GIVING ME
A $10 BILL FOR
DOPE.
Reporter: THE $10 BILL
WAS PHONY, BUT WHAT WAS
INSIDE WAS WORTH FAR MORE.
I REALIZED IT IS NOT A
REAL $10 BILL.
IT IS A FAKE $10 BILL.
I SAID, LORD, I KNOW YOU
DIDN'T LOVE ME.
I KNEW YOU WEREN'T GOING TO
GIVE ME $10.
AND INSIDE OF IT IS THE FULL
BOOK OF PROVERBS, PULLED OUT
OF THE MINIATURE LITTLE
TESTAMENTS.
AND I TOOK THAT BOOK OF
PROVERBS WITH ME THAT
NIGHT.
AND I READ THAT NIGHT ABOUT
WISDOM.
Reporter: MATTHEW SAID
THAT EVENING WAS A TURNING
POINT IN HIS LIFE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY
LIFE, I REMEMBER THINKING
THAT THERE IS A GOD AND HE
IS PRESENT IN MY LIFE.
I THOUGHT HE HAD A WARPED
SENSE OF HUMOR, YOU KNOW.
I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A
REAL $10 BILL, BUT THIS IS
ONE POINT WHERE IT WAS
EVIDENT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE
HAND OF GOD WAS WORKING IN
THIS SITUATION.
AND I FELT THE LORD SAYING
THAT I'M ALWAYS WITH YOU.
I'M NEVER GOING TO ABANDON
YOU.
I'M NEVER GOING TO REJECT
YOU.
Reporter: HE STARTED
GOING TO CHURCH AND STUDYING
THE BIBLE, AND LATER WENT
THROUGH A SUCCESSFUL
RECOVERY PROGRAM.
SOON AFTERWARD HE MET AND
MARRIED JENNIFER.
TODAY MATTHEW HELPS JENNIFER
RUN THE FACILITY IN TUCSON
FOR RECOVERING WOMEN.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL THINGS ABOUT BEING
A BELIEVER IN CHRIST, ABOUT
BEING A CHRISTIAN.
WE'RE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY
TO REACH OUT INTO THE
DARKNESS AND OFFER PEOPLE
LIFE.
WE'RE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY
TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE WHO
ARE INCAPABLE OF LOVING
THEMSELVES.
AND OFFERING THEM AN
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT IS
SO GREAT
THAT IT
CAN'T
BE
DENIED.
Reporter: MATTHEW SAYS
HIS PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO
USE HIS EXPERIENCES TO SHARE
CHRIST WITH OTHER ADDICTS.
I KNOW THE CREATOR OF
HEAVEN AND EARTH, I KNOW THE
GOD WHO HUNG THE STARS IN
THE SKY, WHO KNOWS THE
NUMBER OF HAIRS ON MY HEAD.
WHAT GREATER STATEMENT CAN
BE MADE?
IF WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT
THIS IS THE GOD THAT WE
WORSHIP, HOW CAN WE EVER
DOUBT THAT HE IS NOT GOING
TO WORK IN OUR LIFE?
