Sliver of Hope Ministries

Hope For Heroes TX has teamed up with Sliver of Hope Ministries to help pastors and worship leaders care for their congregations by being vulnerable and honest about addiction and recovery process so that people don’t live in perpetual shame and hiding about what they’re struggling with.

Lance & Elaine Schladoer

Sliver of Hope Ministries is a bit unique in that not only do I present our story from the alcoholic’s point of view, but also from Elaine’s point of view on how it affects the whole family. This, combined with the spiritual gift of singing that the Lord has blessed me with, drives our desire to touch innumerable lives and provide hope that addiction can be overcome. After sharing my testimony several times, God placed it on our hearts that we should also share the effect the alcoholic’s destructive lifestyle has on the whole family. Thus, Sliver of Hope Ministries was born.

My and Elaine’s story is a testimony of God’s unconditional love, mercy, grace, and most of all, hope. This is a testimony of how God rescued our family and our marriage from the wreckage of alcohol addiction.

We grew up in a small, rural town with few options of things to do on weekends for entertainment. As a result, most of our entertainment included the consumption of alcohol.

Elaine and I were high school sweethearts and after 2 years of college we got married in August of 1987. Early on, I think I realized I did not drink like a normal social drinker; I always drank to excess. For the first 12 years of our marriage, I was what was known a high-functioning alcoholic. I worked a full-time job and only drank in the evenings and weekends. At some point, I crossed the line into full-blown debilitating alcoholism. For the next 10 years Elaine did everything in her power to try to get me to stop. But no amount of threatening, tears, begging, or love could make me stop. I had to reach my bottom on my own.

I was in and out of detox units and rehabs, but nothing seemed to work.

The last few months of my drinking “career” led me to that bottom. Having turned my back on God, I found myself living alone in a disgusting apartment, drinking around the clock. I was consuming a half gallon of cheap vodka every 24 hours. At that point, personal hygiene ceased to be a priority and I became a filthy, nasty monster. I had never felt so alone in all my life. Alcohol had become my master. I allowed it to take everything from me: my family, friends and dignity. But, most of all, I had allowed this disease to come between me and God. At times I felt suicidal. I just wanted the pain to stop.

April 10th of 2010 was the turning point. Out of desperation, I called the police on myself. I begged them to arrest me so I would be physically separated from alcohol and unable to get to it. But, they were not going to do anything. As far as they knew, I hadn’t broken any laws. But fortunately for me, Elaine had been working in the background to get my probation officer to have an arrest warrant issued for me. That warrant saved my life.

She also convinced the judge to have me spend 90 days in rehab. Not long after getting there, she told me she was filing for divorce. She said “I was not the man she married 23 years before.” I certainly couldn’t argue with that. However, she gave me hope. She told me if I could get sober, stay sober, and take care of myself, we would see what the future held. That little sliver of hope was all I needed to start down the road to redemption. During that 90 days I got right with myself and I got right with God. I turned back to Him, I asked Him to remove my alcohol problem and He did. He removed the obsession for alcohol. During that entire time, He never left my side. The whole time I was in that apartment, drinking myself to death, He was on that filthy nasty couch right beside me. Dr’s. say I probably should have died in that apartment, but the Lord had other plans.

Three and a half years into sobriety, Elaine graciously accepted my proposal for re-marriage. I have been able to experience things I otherwise never would have. I was there to witness both of our daughters graduate college and give them away in marriage. I have 6 beautiful grandchildren who have never seen me drunk.

God has blessed Elaine and I greatly; and having survived that hell together, our relationship is stronger than ever. However, just because I got sober doesn’t mean all our problems go away. There are still trials and tribulations, but now I turn to our Father instead of the bottle.

Lance & Elaine Schladoer

210-330-2615

https://www.sliverofhopeministries.com/