Sweet Broken Promises: Raul P. Puts Hope into Action
Sep 17, 2026 · 59 min · 18 segments
He lost his father to cancer. Then his mother to an overdose. But losing everything still wasn't enough to make recovery easy. *Raul had to learn how to stop fighting and surrender.* Raul P.'s…
He lost his father to cancer. Then his mother to an overdose. But losing everything still wasn't enough to make recovery easy. *Raul had to learn how to stop fighting and surrender.* Raul P.'s addiction was filled with what he calls “sweet broken promises.” Promises to change. Promises to do better. Promises that somehow, next time, things would be different. But the disease always seemed to get in the way. After growing up around instability, spending time in foster care, and running the streets as a teenager, Raul found himself homeless by eighteen. Drugs, alcohol, illegal casinos, arrests, burglary, and consequences became part of a life where serenity always seemed just out of reach. Then the losses came. His father died from colon cancer. Less than a year and a half later, his mother died from an overdose. Raul says losing his parents became the greatest impact of his addiction and eventually pushed him toward seeking help again. He returned to the Salvation Army Recovery Program, which he was introduced to in 2015, and it gave him something he desperately needed: structure, brotherhood, recovery, and the practice of waking up every morning and giving his life to God. He stayed sober for more than two years. Then he drank again. That relapse became another lesson. Raul began to understand how expectations, resentment, and trying to control life could quietly pull him away from recovery. When he returned to the rooms in June 2023, he became willing to do things differently. He stopped fighting. And he learned hope is an action word. Today, Raul sponsors other men, finds joy in service, and is building the family life addiction once threatened to take from him. He's a husband, and a father of two with another baby on the way. The broken promises have been replaced by something real. Surrender. Service. Family. And a life Raul no longer chooses to run from. Mentioned in This Episode 👉 Salvation Army Recovery Program 📌 If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the United States. Help is available 24 hours a day. 🙏 Please like, share, and subscribe to *The Cup of Joe Show* so more people can hear stories of hope and transformation. 🌟 For daily encouragement, visit Daily Ponderables — your source for inspiration 365 days a year. The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. *New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.*
He lost his father to cancer. Then his mother to an overdose. But losing everything still wasn't enough to make recovery easy. *Raul had to learn how to stop fighting and surrender.* Raul P.'s…
