I'm going to tell you a story. A story of redemption. A Story of unlikely salvation. Our story begins with a child. Born into a loving but broken home. A dedicated father. A lost and confused mother. Light and dark. Determined to dull the pain of abandonment by his mother.... The child turned towards drugs. Casual at first, these "every so often" resulted in real trouble for the child. Hours after his 18th birthday. He was in jail, and his life was forever changed. What once was a harmless tendency became real adult problems. Resulting in jail time on and off. And each time he had to fight for his life. Every second. Because jail was not something he could adapt to. Too naive and constantly targeted. But he managed to serve his time and go "home". But all this was temporary. He had no home. Only temporary resting spots. He meets a girl and finds happiness for a time. But one day. The happiness fades. And the hurt begins again. The rift grows wider and wider. Until the disconnect is so great and the pain so strong. That he takes the easy way, he knows. The drugs quiet the pain. An old yet familiar cure. Eventually, the rift grows so wide that she escapes and leaves him with nothing. Fed up with being abandoned and full of hatred for himself for causing the split. He shuts down. All his possessions are gone. Left with just a backpack of some clothes. He walked out into the woods. And sat. For 9 days. Just sat. Ate beef jerky. Got devoured by mosquitoes. Slept on a piece of plywood dragged from a nearby warehouse. For 9 days. Until a random text from his step-sister changed it all. Learning of his plight, she offered to let him stay in an abandoned camper on her property, with no power or water. He graciously accepted, trying desperately to lead a normal life away from the place he had failed so spectacularly in for so long. But after several months of working part-time at a BBQ joint. He still couldn't find his own place. And so she booted him back to Orlando. Dropped him off on the side of the road with a bag of 2 McDonald's McChickens and said, " Sorry, big bro. You'll figure it out. And so. He slept leaning up against a tree. The next day, he went to Walmart and spent the last of his money on a tent. At least it was a place he could safely lay his head. The dangers were countless living on the streets. For the next year and a half. He survived. Got food where he could just. Survived. And then. A friend offered to throw some work his way. Desperate. He graciously accepted. He just needed to meet the friend at the gas station at 730am. Arriving at 7 am, he plugged his phone in and waited for his friend's call. Shortly after 8, the friend called and bailed. So he sat and waited for his phone to charge. Until he was approached by a woman. She offered him a sandwich. At first, he was ashamed. He hated feeling like a bum people pitied. But he was hungry and accepted. Then they asked if he wanted to join their church. He was never big on religion and always denied offers. Just out of pocket. But for some reason, he said yes. And at first, it felt like he was only doing it to break up the endless stream of just existing. Surviving. Not truly living. But the more he became involved. The more he started to find hope. And salvation. Eventually, his loving benefactors took him into their home. Showed him how to love and be loved once more. And then tragedy struck. His grandmother died, and the church banded together to send him to her funeral. He eventually established himself and became something he never thought he could be. A real adult. A true human. Shaping the lives of those around him. Imparting the lessons learned from years of hard failures. Proving that even the most wayward of souls can still be saved. With Jesus. And his instruments of salvation. Natasha. Rob. And all of Innovation church. Thank you for showing me the light. God bless. Sorry, it took me so long. Happy Mother's Day, spiritual mama
