TEMPLE, Texas — The Salvation Army in Temple named Lt. David Beckham as its executive administrator and pastor, but his journey to success wasn't an easy one.
"At one point, I was homeless and addicted to crack cocaine," said Beckham. "It's a lifestyle that was triggered by heartache over two decades ago. My father was a Baptist minister and he passed away when I was 15-years-old. At the time I made a conscious decision to run from the lord.
To fund his drug addiction, Beckham got in trouble with the law and spent time in jail. Beckham said despite the jail time, he went right back to his old habits.
One day, something changed.
“I said to myself, David, you have literally made a decision to live with the rats, literally living with the rats," Beckham said. "On November 27, 2012, I started to realize and re-evaluate my decision in 1982."
He reached out to his mom, who called the Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Program in Dallas. He joined the program and never looked back.
"From that moment on, my mother has never one time brought up the past," said Beckham. "She's never held it against me. She loves me with complete and total forgiveness. True godly love.”
Born in Waco, TX, Beckham said it's nice to be back in Central Texas. Through his role at the Salvation Army, he hopes to inspire others.
"I want to get to know who these people are on a personal level and understand what their struggles are on a day to day level," said Beckham.
Through it all, Beckham never forgets his own road to recovery.
“The salvation army saved my life and Jesus Christ saved my soul,” Beckham said.
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