I Love Life: Former Cocaine Addict Shares His Story of Faith in Sioux Falls
A friend of mine visits Sioux Falls once a year and shares his story of faith. In fact Bob “The Crosswalker” Hanus will be talking about his recovery from alcohol and drugs during this Sunday’s services at Faith Temple Church in Sioux Falls.
When he graduated from high school, Bob was an alcoholic. When he entered his freshman year in college, Bob was introduced to cocaine.
“I went to college in search of learning how to make my first million before I was thirty years old. I joined a fraternity at an excellent university. While at a party, I was drunk when one of my fraternity brothers offered me cocaine. I said no and told him, ‘I’ll never try hard drugs.’ After a few more shots of Jack Daniels and a couple of beers, he offered me the cocaine again and I said, ‘sure, why not? Looks like everyone else is having a good time. Why not me?’ All it took was one time and I was addicted. I had just kicked off an eight year relationship with the drug.”
Bob, still to this day, recalls his first experience with cocaine.
“I felt I discovered true meaning in my life. I was always chasing the women, hitting the bars every night and gambling…doing all the things that I thought would bring excitement and meaning in my life. But, when I tried cocaine at the college party, I said to myself, ‘wow! This is it! I have finally arrived.’”
Try as hard as he could, Bob couldn’t get as high as he did during the early days of his addiction. Eventually, he came very close to death.
“When I hit my rock bottom, I already had had an overdose and was involved in three car wrecks. I was arrested twice. he proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was when I dropped out of college in my senior year. I always felt I was in control of my life. But, I wasn’t. The cocaine was in the driver’s seat. My dream of getting a great job and making lots of money went up in smoke. Instead of planning my future, I was working on my suicide because I was so low.”
Bob thought the only salvation from the cocaine and alcohol was a bullet in his brain.
”I just really believed the only way out of this life was a gun to my head. I called my mom just to tell her good-bye because that’s what was in my heart. I didn’t tell her what I was going to do. But, I had to hear her voice one last time. I called her and the thing that came out of my mouth wasn’t good-bye, it was ‘mom, what do you want for your birthday?’ I now know God placed this in my heart because right away she asked if I’d come to dinner with my father and her. Instead of saying no, I agreed to go. What a dinner it turned out to be! I’ll never forget the night. The gathering was a full gospel businessmen’s fellowship meeting. I rediscovered life that night at the Hilton Hotel in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.”
Bob received an answer to all his problems the moment he asked for divine help.
“I didn’t think there was any way except suicide to get out of the mess my life was in. But, during the dinner, a man was talking about life with Jesus Christ. His message grabbed hold of my heart. All of a sudden, I gave my life to Jesus and He totally set me free from the cocaine and alcohol.”
Bob’s drug driven life instantly changed.
The moment I asked Him to come into my life I knew He was real. It wasn’t just the Jesus my mom and dad knew or the church I grew up in. It was a real relationship. I felt love coming to me like I never felt before. I was clean inside. My desires started to change. I didn’t want the cocaine. I didn’t want the alcohol. I was totally set free. I am no longer in recovery. I am totally recovered. It’s not because of me. Jesus Christ did it all.”
Thanks to the miraculous transformation, Bob Hanus, now known as the Crosswalker, is a practicing Christian who travels the country with his family telling others of the love of Jesus Christ!