Charles Reed was drunk in the delivery room when his daughter was born. Afterward, he told his wife he was going for a walk—but he went straight to a liquor store. Becoming a father hadn’t made him stop. So what finally did—and what would following Jesus require afterward?

For years, Charles could close a big deal at work while hiding how badly alcohol and drugs were running his life. He was wildly talented and successful, but he kept crossing lines he once swore he’d never cross. By the time his family could see the full picture, he was organizing his days around the next drink.

Then Charles describes something he hadn’t been looking for: an encounter with Jesus that he says removed his desire to drink in an instant.

That wasn't the end of his journey, but rather the start of it. After all, his wife had heard all the promises before. He had trust to rebuild, habits to confront, and a family that needed him to show up.

In this episode of Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic, Charles joins Jon Seidl to talk about the fear beneath his addiction, the limits of “I would never do that,” and the daily work of recovery even after a miraculous moment.

Follow Charles on Instagram: @hendrieehill
Learn more about America's Keswick here
Listen to the the episode with Arman and hear his story here
Explore the FREE Veritas Recovery Community to connect with people on a similar journey
Get Gospel-centered addiction recovery resources and help at veritasrecovery.org
Follow Jon: @jonseidl
Order Jon's book: Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic
Watch this episode ad-free at The Vertias Daily

We explore: 

— Why becoming a father didn’t make Charles stop drinking
— How fear shaped his relationship with alcohol long before he recognized addiction
— What professional success allowed him to hide
— How “I would never do that” became another line he crossed
— The encounter with Jesus Charles says removed his desire to drink
— Why a miraculous experience still left daily recovery work to do
— How ordinary acts of responsibility helped rebuild his wife’s trust
— What his story offers families who are still praying for change

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