At the well

A friend was telling me about her son's battle with alcohol. He has grasped sobriety on a number of occasions only to have it slip from his hands, returning to a life ruled by alcohol. She wondered aloud what his reasons for drinking may be.
I have thought about her question for many hours now. Why does her son or any addict go numb. Through my own experiences, having a family member battle the Beast of Addiction, I believe that a person who drinks obsessively or gets stoned daily, a person that lives a secret life addicted to gambling or pornography does so to escape who they are or to momentarily become someone who they are not.
My life experience, not formal education, constructs my beliefs. The foundation that I am able to build my beliefs on is God's word. I know that there are many differing opinions on the root cause of addictions, whether it be to alcohol or any other substance or behavior. I know that there are support groups such as AA or NA that allow the addict an escape. I know there are doctors and counselors that methodically will treat an addict with substitutions for the abused substance. All of these well intentioned professionals do so with much higher education than I.
But when the question regarding the loved one of a friend was posed my only thought was to seek an answer from God.
The books of the Old Testament record many stories about God's people turning away from Him and back to their addiction. Their addiction was to a life of sin, a life that worshiped idols instead of God. Each time God's chosen turned away they did so out selfishness. Either they did not like where they were at, or wanted something more than they had. Their impatience with God returned them to a life of addiction. When Moses was slow returning from Mount Sinai they forgot all that God had provided and cried to Aaron "Come, make us gods who will go before us..." Give us something that will make us feel better! We don't like who we are or where we are, give us something artificial instead!
In the New Testament, in John's gospel, we read about a Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus Christ. The woman had been married five times and was living with another that was not her husband. In desiring to be someone else this Samaritan woman went from man to man, addicted to a life style that she was ashamed of. So ashamed she hid from Jesus her true living conditions.
The story goes on to tell us that this woman wondered "...Could this be the Christ?" In fact, Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well had such an impact that others "believed" because of her testimony.
The rest of her story does not unfold for us in the pages of the bible. But I cannot believe she continued here previous lifestyle after her encounter with Christ.
These words give us faith that an addict, by going to the well of Living Water and asking Christ into their life, can begin a life of sobriety.
Both of these stories, the Israelite's impatient wanting and the Samaritan woman's experience at the well also taught me about the grace of God.
I believe in the sovereignty of God. I believe that He allowed the nation of Israel to rebel time and time again. I believe He allowed the Samaritan woman to lead a life of self-deprivation. I believe He allows an addict to succumb to temptation. I believe this knowing that with His sovereignty comes His grace, with His grace comes His love. I believe that when the addict turns back to God, He will be there, at the well, waiting patiently, with grace and with love.
Why do we do what we do? Why do we get stoned, drunk, crazy and insane? Because that's who we are, we choose to be there. Where can we be? In His grace...just ask.