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“From Homelessness to Salvation”
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Richard H. writes:
I am a 56-year-old divorced man living in Florida.
I had a really messed up childhood, starting at the age of 3, when I was adopted. I felt unloved and unwanted from the very beginning, which resulted in a lot of trouble at school, in the service, and in my marriage of 12 years to my high school sweetheart, who divorced me in 1979.
I could not hold down a job. Every job I would get I would get fired or quit for one reason or another — but the real reason was drugs and alcohol.
Eventually I lost my apartment because I could not pay rent and ended up being on the street homeless. I stayed that way for 4 years.
I thought my life was over, and I contemplated suicide many times, but I didn’t want to go to hell so I decided against it. But I was extremely miserable and had no friends.
I finally got out of the homeless camp and broke into a warehouse, where I lived in a 12×12 room.
One night I was sitting outside my warehouse, drunk as could be, when a man leaving the corner bar came walking down my street. As he approached, I saw myself in him.
This part is hard to explain, but I will do the best I can. As he got closer, I started to weep and I cried out, “God! Help me! I cannot keep going this way! Just take me out of here! I don’t want to live any more!”
And for 20 minutes or so I wept on my knees till I was exhausted. Then I got up and flopped myself down on the old broken-down couch I used for a bed and drifted off to sleep.
At six o’clock in the morning, I was awakened by someone calling my name, “Richard, Richard, Richard, you
must stop drinking, you must stop smoking, and you must go back to church.”
And as he said that, a feeling of warm liquid flowed through my body, starting from my head to the bottoms of my feet, and I yelled out, “Thank you, Jesus!”
I knew instantly that Jesus Christ had healed me, and this was before I knew what any of this meant. But I knew that I would never need drugs or alcohol ever again! I knew it!
He put a love into me so amazing that there are no words to express it. He totally turned my whole life around.
I put my trust in him and asked him to lead me to the church he wanted me to be a member of, and he did. I asked him to find me a home and a job, and he did.
And the good news is I have never looked back. I have the same job and go to the same church that he led me to.
But that is not the best news. The best news is I know where I am going now when I leave this world — I’m going to heaven. And I know why I am here, and it’s to serve him — and I do with all my heart.
He is real! And if you don’t know him, I implore you to get to know him. He waits for you with open arms. He will be the best friend you will ever have, and he loves you very much.
God bless you! And thank you for taking the time to read my testimony.
And if you know of anyone who needs to hear this, please don’t wait! Send it to them. This might be the last chance they will have to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
Please note that the views expressed in this story are not necessarily the views of the American Bible Society. Story posted on May 9th, 2008 and filed under Drugs & Alcohol, Loneliness, Praise, God's Love, Hope, Your Stories, Conversions, Grace, Struggles, Divorce & Marital Conflict, Suicide, Life Verse.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Dear Richard H.:
In this ‘America the Beautiful,’ where there are unfortunately rampant abuses of alcohol and drugs even among teens, and more often than not the tragic consequences therefrom, your declaration of “I knew instantly that Jesus Christ had healed me” is unquestionably a shining light of faith, hope, and love to others in similar circumstances, that they, too, can subdue any evil propensity of any nature, and could “do all things.”
Your powerful conclusion was not in vain self-reliance, but by the “arm” that upheld you.
For our Redeemer said: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
May your invaluable call to “accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior,” and assurance that “He waits for you with open arms” be heard loud and clear, far and wide.
Truly, we can all sing: “What a friend we have in Jesus…Take it to the Lord in prayer! Jesus knows our every weakness…In His arms He’ll shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there. Amen.”
Thank you.
May GOD ALL MIGHTY Bless you infinitely and inestimably;
GODSPEED, always and forevermore!
Mary Sun.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Richard, sounds like you listened when God spoke to you. A lot of folks don’t. Now you are in a unique position to spread the Word effectively, because you have “been there, done that”. I hope everyone reading your testimony is affected enough to go out and make their own changes in lifestyle like you did.
I am so glad for you, that you found the right path, and in time!