Eventually though, it consumed his young life. Unfortunately for Chandler, his genetic background towards addiction and the emotional needs caused by the childhood scar of abandonment were now quietly being met by his casual drug use. Marijuana became alcohol and eventually, cocaine. You could almost say it was a conscious choice of experimentation, but what he didn’t know was it also fulfilled a deep, unspoken need. That’s why from the outside looking in, the direction he was about to take didn’t quite make sense.īy his own account, Chandler’s drug abuse was never forced on him. He even participated on the track team, where he also excelled. So much so, his grandparents decided to enroll him in a special school for engineering and technology during his high school years. In school, Chandler excelled in every subject.
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As a youth, Chandler was also very active in his church through the Awana Youth Group.įor a time, it seemed like an ideal environment. Every week they attended church and did their best to raise their grandkids above the turmoil they had already experienced in their young lives.įrequent trips to the Wisconsin Dells and celebrating Christmas holidays were just some of the highlights of their time growing up.
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Chandler’s grandmother was a hairdresser, and his grandfather is a retired electrician.
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But the journey would prove difficult.īy all accounts, his grandparents were both hard-working individuals. These strong churchgoing believers, having become fully committed to breaking a generational curse of addiction with their grandchildren, sought restoration for family through the love of Christ. Thankfully, his grandparents stood in that gap that Ezekiel 22:30 describes. Despite the frequent interruptions caused by his dysfunctional parents, who were still trying to play a role in their lives, Chandler was beginning to experience some measure of stability. Yet for a brief time before, Chandler and his two siblings had found shelter and comfort in the loving care of his grandparents’ home.