Growing up, Larry Cox and his siblings would sometimes go without food, without running water, without electricity. He would steal food just to eat.
Larry, whose father was in prison for most of his childhood, was too young to know that his mom was choosing drugs over providing basic necessities for her children.
His mom was diagnosed with cancer when Larry was just 14. That’s when he starting partying – smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol.
By age 16, Larry’s mom died, and his family was torn apart. The children were placed in different foster homes.
Larry graduated from high school at age 17, which was also when his dad was released from prison. His dad did well for a while, then fell back into doing drugs. Their relationship was more like friends rather than father and son. Soon, his dad introduced him to meth, and they were using and selling meth together.
After his dad accidentally cut off four fingers while using a saw, he needed Larry’s help with a needle to use meth. Then he encouraged Larry to try it. Larry was hesitant about it, but eventually agreed. It then became all Larry wanted to do.
They would steal, then shoot up together.
After a year went by. One day they went to Richmond to get some dope. Larry decided to stay in Richmond while his dad drove back home. His dad took a bad shot, overdosed, and died. Larry felt guilty that he wasn’t there for his dad, but also relieved because he knew he would have died from an overdose as well if he had been there.
Both parents were gone. He felt hopeless.
Larry soon picked up two felony charges for possession and trafficking. The court gave him the option of six months in rehab or a year in the county jail.
Larry chose rehab – not because he wanted to stop using drugs but because it was a shorter length of time.
He picked Redemption Road because it was close to home. He had no interest in quitting and no interest in faith-based recovery.
For the first 30 days, he thought about running three or four times. Larry stayed with it because people helped him, but he still had no interest in God.
The program included a strict schedule that included Bible study three or four times a day. Eventually, the message started to stick. He was reading the Bible and felt like the Lord was trying to communicate to him.
Larry decided to give his heart to God.
Larry graduated from the program and stayed for an additional three months. He now has a better relationship with his siblings and has worked for two years on a building crew for the rehab facility.
He has learned a trade, and is getting married soon. When that happens, Larry not only will gain a wife, he will have a family that he hasn’t had for most of his life.
“I couldn’t be more grateful for what the Lord has done for me. There is a better way, a better life. There is no other way out than the Lord, but you have to make that choice.”
