LEVIN It s a ░░░░░░░░ Now when I do ░░░░░░░░ infomercial I wanted you ░░░░░░░░ the program because you ░░░░░░░░ a fascinating background and ░░░░░░░░ think it could affect ░░░░░░░░ lot of our audience ░░░░░░░░ You re a big ░░░░░░░░ supporter You are a ░░░░░░░░ of deep Christian faith ░░░░░░░░ are a remarkable entrepreneur ░░░░░░░░ you were a drug ░░░░░░░░ LINDELL Yes crack addict ░░░░░░░░ A crackhead Do you ░░░░░░░░ to explain that to ░░░░░░░░ LINDELL Well I was ░░░░░░░░ think my addiction goes ░░░░░░░░ to childhood when my ░░░░░░░░ got divorced divorces weren ░░░░░░░░ common and I became ░░░░░░░░ very put into a ░░░░░░░░ school and I became ░░░░░░░░ shy or I would ░░░░░░░░ off to people like ░░░░░░░░ things hey watch me ░░░░░░░░ off this bus window ░░░░░░░░ then it manifested into ░░░░░░░░ know using alcohol first ░░░░░░░░ then got into cocaine ░░░░░░░░ How old were you ░░░░░░░░ you got into cocaine ░░░░░░░░ Probably late teens 16 ░░░░░░░░ And then at my ░░░░░░░░ year reunion all my ░░░░░░░░ everyone s graduated from ░░░░░░░░ or they re starting ░░░░░░░░ and they kept the ░░░░░░░░ employer and I m ░░░░░░░░ and I wanted what ░░░░░░░░ want I m all ░░░░░░░░ and telling them about ░░░░░░░░ mafia money for football ░░░░░░░░ or jumping out of ░░░░░░░░ airplane in a parachute ░░░░░░░░ opening and telling all ░░░░░░░░ these stories which were ░░░░░░░░ they go wow Because ░░░░░░░░ didn t want to ░░░░░░░░ what they did because ░░░░░░░░ wanted what they had ░░░░░░░░ it became a lot ░░░░░░░░ pain a lot of ░░░░░░░░ pain and I got ░░░░░░░░ cocaine and then I ░░░░░░░░ 20 years functioning cocaine ░░░░░░░░ and then 10 years ░░░░░░░░ cocaine so it was ░░░░░░░░ long LEVIN So you ░░░░░░░░ lucky to be alive ░░░░░░░░ Yeah 40 years of ░░░░░░░░ LEVIN And how did ░░░░░░░░ get out of it ░░░░░░░░ Well LEVIN Do you ░░░░░░░░ get out of it ░░░░░░░░ Yeah you get out ░░░░░░░░ it I mean I ░░░░░░░░ t believe addiction is ░░░░░░░░ disease I believe that ░░░░░░░░ addiction either comes from ░░░░░░░░ know wounds as child ░░░░░░░░ that happen or trauma ░░░░░░░░ s why veterans can ░░░░░░░░ traumatized later on Any ░░░░░░░░ can manifest into I ░░░░░░░░ addictions mass pain And ░░░░░░░░ me a lot of ░░░░░░░░ had to happen I ░░░░░░░░ a 20 year marriage ░░░░░░░░ had all of these ░░░░░░░░ happen in the mid ░░░░░░░░ But in 2008 there ░░░░░░░░ about three things that ░░░░░░░░ and seeds were planted ░░░░░░░░ me Drug dealers did ░░░░░░░░ intervention that was kind ░░░░░░░░ a big thing LEVIN ░░░░░░░░ why would drug dealers ░░░░░░░░ an intervention LINDELL Well ░░░░░░░░ s what happened I ░░░░░░░░ up 14 days and ░░░░░░░░ was staying downtown in ░░░░░░░░ half hour from where ░░░░░░░░ was doing pills I ░░░░░░░░ a warrant out for ░░░░░░░░ arrest and I was ░░░░░░░░ to be found innocent ░░░░░░░░ following Tuesday So I ░░░░░░░░ hiding out down there ░░░░░░░░ I come out of ░░░░░░░░ room and three of ░░░░░░░░ biggest dealers I didn ░░░░░░░░ not know they knew ░░░░░░░░ other and I said ░░░░░░░░ are guys doing And ░░░░░░░░ one guy goes Mike ░░░░░░░░ been up for 14 ░░░░░░░░ we re shutting him ░░░░░░░░ And then one guys ░░░░░░░░ he looks me like ░░░░░░░░ s the matter with ░░░░░░░░ And he says you ░░░░░░░░ t get anything from ░░░░░░░░ guys Then he leaves ░░░░░░░░ other guy LEVIN Wait ░░░░░░░░ minute So up for ░░░░░░░░ days You were using ░░░░░░░░ they even said that ░░░░░░░░ enough They must ve ░░░░░░░░ you They wanted to ░░░░░░░░ your life LINDELL Yeah ░░░░░░░░ s what he said ░░░░░░░░ Yeah they all liked ░░░░░░░░ but here is what ░░░░░░░░ said You know I ░░░░░░░░ a good customer too ░░░░░░░░ the one guy left ░░░░░░░░ it was his place ░░░░░░░░ he went down the ░░░░░░░░ and shut off his ░░░░░░░░ And now I looked ░░░░░░░░ this dealer he finally ░░░░░░░░ to sleep I ran ░░░░░░░░ of crack and I ░░░░░░░░ to do one of ░░░░░░░░ numbers and I headed ░░░░░░░░ to the streets of ░░░░░░░░ about 2 30 in ░░░░░░░░ morning couldn t get ░░░░░░░░ anywhere And I went ░░░░░░░░ I was very resourceful ░░░░░░░░ I come back upstairs ░░░░░░░░ defeated and he s ░░░░░░░░ there waiting up for ░░░░░░░░ and he says man ░░░░░░░░ me that phone he ░░░░░░░░ I want to take ░░░░░░░░ picture of you He ░░░░░░░░ you re going to ░░░░░░░░ it for that book ░░░░░░░░ ve been bragging about ░░░░░░░░ us you re going ░░░░░░░░ write And he said ░░░░░░░░ ve been telling us ░░░░░░░░ years this my pillow ░░░░░░░░ just a platform for ░░░░░░░░ and you re going ░░░░░░░░ come some day and ░░░░░░░░ us out of this ░░░░░░░░ and all the dealings ░░░░░░░░ we have And he ░░░░░░░░ we re not going ░░░░░░░░ let you die on ░░░░░░░░ Because I would always ░░░░░░░░ these guys all the ░░░░░░░░ you guys this pillow ░░░░░░░░ just a platform for ░░░░░░░░ LEVIN So is this ░░░░░░░░ singular event that started ░░░░░░░░ turn your life around ░░░░░░░░ No there was a ░░░░░░░░ of things but there ░░░░░░░░ just one thing Then ░░░░░░░░ six months later my ░░░░░░░░ we had come back ░░░░░░░░ a hunting trip and ░░░░░░░░ was in the driveway ░░░░░░░░ he says dad I ░░░░░░░░ t stay here anymore ░░░░░░░░ want to live with ░░░░░░░░ brother He s got ░░░░░░░░ tear and his lips ░░░░░░░░ quivering And that hit ░░░░░░░░ to me I m ░░░░░░░░ hiding too much from ░░░░░░░░ LEVIN He must have ░░░░░░░░ you were addicted LINDELL ░░░░░░░░ When the kids were ░░░░░░░░ 16 down they don ░░░░░░░░ remember My daughter one ░░░░░░░░ she says you know ░░░░░░░░ re a very dysfunctional ░░░░░░░░ I said that was ░░░░░░░░ the end I said ░░░░░░░░ don t know what ░░░░░░░░ means but don t ░░░░░░░░ that again that sounds ░░░░░░░░ But then my son ░░░░░░░░ me with that But ░░░░░░░░ in December of 08 ░░░░░░░░ really happened it s ░░░░░░░░ important to my story ░░░░░░░░ friend came to me ░░░░░░░░ he was my equal ░░░░░░░░ both did cocaine in ░░░░░░░░ same time in the ░░░░░░░░ started we both were ░░░░░░░░ addicts throughout the 80s ░░░░░░░░ 90s 2000 we both ░░░░░░░░ to crack about the ░░░░░░░░ time and I heard ░░░░░░░░ had found the Lord ░░░░░░░░ free of these addictions ░░░░░░░░ three years And he ░░░░░░░░ walking in I was ░░░░░░░░ by myself he came ░░░░░░░░ and I go Derek ░░░░░░░░ are you doing here ░░░░░░░░ goes the Lord led ░░░░░░░░ here And I knew ░░░░░░░░ had been straight for ░░░░░░░░ years I didn t ░░░░░░░░ him in a year ░░░░░░░░ I go well as ░░░░░░░░ as you are here ░░░░░░░░ have some questions for ░░░░░░░░ And I said is ░░░░░░░░ boring and he goes ░░░░░░░░ man it ain t ░░░░░░░░ Being clean or whatever ░░░░░░░░ asked him kind of ░░░░░░░░ We went into an ░░░░░░░░ of questions where I ░░░░░░░░ been in and out ░░░░░░░░ treatment in the 80s ░░░░░░░░ counselors that have been ░░░░░░░░ school but never been ░░░░░░░░ the addicts have been ░░░░░░░░ he was my equal ░░░░░░░░ he said I trusted ░░░░░░░░ because he s been ░░░░░░░░ I had been LEVIN ░░░░░░░░ what did he say ░░░░░░░░ He said it s ░░░░░░░░ boring He s telling ░░░░░░░░ questions like how do ░░░░░░░░ feel inside now Are ░░░░░░░░ thinking about the past ░░░░░░░░ all different questions But ░░░░░░░░ didn t quit that ░░░░░░░░ it was another month ░░░░░░░░ it was January 16 ░░░░░░░░ And I knew that ░░░░░░░░ people say was that ░░░░░░░░ bottom Well for moneywise ░░░░░░░░ made sure I didn ░░░░░░░░ have any money left ░░░░░░░░ I knew it would ░░░░░░░░ an incredible story to ░░░░░░░░ people a story of ░░░░░░░░ I would always know ░░░░░░░░ things as they were ░░░░░░░░ Something bad would happen ░░░░░░░░ me I d go ░░░░░░░░ that s going to ░░░░░░░░ good in my book ░░░░░░░░ day and help people ░░░░░░░░ it was weird thinking ░░░░░░░░ that day I knew ░░░░░░░░ calling that God had ░░░░░░░░ me for this to ░░░░░░░░ people and with the ░░░░░░░░ and with everything that ░░░░░░░░ going on Now I ░░░░░░░░ t quite know what ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ But you meet with ░░░░░░░░ did he turn you ░░░░░░░░ to faith LINDELL No ░░░░░░░░ were planted my whole ░░░░░░░░ LEVIN So they were ░░░░░░░░ your whole life Did ░░░░░░░░ give you the jump ░░░░░░░░ to do something about ░░░░░░░░ LINDELL No like I ░░░░░░░░ there were seeds planted ░░░░░░░░ go back to the ░░░░░░░░ when I was I ░░░░░░░░ be in I owned ░░░░░░░░ bar for 13 years ░░░░░░░░ after the bar closed ░░░░░░░░ my friends would all ░░░░░░░░ you that we d ░░░░░░░░ back afterwards and sit ░░░░░░░░ do cocaine I would ░░░░░░░░ them these drugs are ░░░░░░░░ I was telling them ░░░░░░░░ the end times and ░░░░░░░░ in the Bible I ░░░░░░░░ about it in jail ░░░░░░░░ would quit that day ░░░░░░░░ find Jesus So what ░░░░░░░░ I say I didn ░░░░░░░░ know but that was ░░░░░░░░ wanting to convince myself ░░░░░░░░ were planted my whole ░░░░░░░░ and God chased me ░░░░░░░░