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My name is Art Hazimanolis
and this is my story...
I have always had deep religious beliefs. As a child, I attended church in New Castle, PA with my parents and brother. My family's religious heritage was an important part of our lives, so I was also enrolled in classes at the church two nights a week for language and writing skills. I participated in the youth ministry which offered more social interaction than spiritual growth.
I had a normal childhood but was a bit rebellious at times. During my late teens and early twenties, I began to get involved with the wrong crowd and experimented with drugs and alcohol. It seemed to be the thing to do because I was in a band and wanted to be part of the crowd. I quickly became addicted to both. Over the years I was transformed into a person that didn't care about anything or anyone, other than myself. I had lost all communication with God and spiraled into the depths of addiction.
In 1988, I moved back to my hometown and became reacquainted with Leslie. She was my closest friend in high school. We began dating and although I still struggled, I was motivated to put up a good front and hide the severity of my addiction from her. Once we married, it became more difficult to conceal my dependency. Following a series of surgeries, I became addicted to pain medication which caused my substance abuse to escalate.
There were many times I would pray only for help to get out of the trouble I always seemed to get myself into. My family and friends were worried about me but didn't know what to do to help me. They had tried everything in their power to get me to stop. I felt as though I was spiritually dead, I had no faith anymore. This frightened me because I had always believed God would be there for me. I had caused so much hurt to my family that I thought God had finally given up on me. It was too late - I had done too much damage.
Over the next 17 years, I was in and out of rehabilitation centers. I would stay clean and sober for short periods only to relapse again. During the summer of 2005, I had reached my bottom. I received a DUI for riding my motorcycle under the influence. My wife asked me to leave because she didn't want our son to watch me destroy myself. I was living with my parents, out of work and struggling to decide if I was worth the trouble. There were times when I truly thought that my family would be better off without me. Sure - they would miss me at first, but after awhile they would adjust.
Despite my severe state of depression and the depth of my addiction, my family and friends never gave up on me. My brother put me in a different type of rehab and I started to understand the message they were teaching me. The workers there listened to my fears that God had forgotten about me. They shared their own faith with me, offering encouragement that God had not abandoned me. I started to talk to God again, but instead of asking him to make something happen, I asked him for help and the strength for me to make it happen. Something clicked in me during that period in time. I didn't see God, or a bright light, and it didn't happen overnight. But I was feeling something working inside of me. I was losing the intense urge to use drugs or alcohol to make me feel better. I know it was God. I finally figured out that God would never have given up on me. I'm the one that had given up on Him.
I started to just do the right things every day and pray… a lot. Not long after that, things started to change for me. I was able to return home to my family. I returned to the workforce and started to be productive again. I would talk to God throughout the day, asking Him if I was doing the right thing. Always keeping Him in the back of my mind, knowing he gave His only Son so that I could live. I decided that living His Will was the only way that I could ever honor the sacrifice He made on my behalf.
We first came to Orchard Hill through the encouragement of my son, Jason. He had been invited by his best friend to attend Middle School Impact and Bible study. He loved coming and asked us to give it a try. Leslie and I started coming to services on occasion and we enjoyed the message. In January of this year, we started to come almost weekly. The messages we take with us really help in our day-to-day activities. We decided to become members in order to become part of the community and get more involved. I enjoy using my musical skills as part of the audio technical team.
We work constantly to grow closer in our relationship with God and also with each other. I know Leslie still worries about me and I understand why. I've seen many people who have never been able to break free from the jaws of addiction. Some are no longer with us. When I think that I could have been one of those people, I get a chill that runs deep into my soul. I thank God every day for giving me another chance at life. My name is Art Hazimanolis and this is my story.
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