Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: HOPE (joyful, confident expectation in salvation) (03/05/15)
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TITLE: The Night I Found Hope | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jerry Pitts
03/06/15 -
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As I stop to think just how amazing different my life is today, I am taken back to that night I cried out to a God I did not know; that night I decided I just didn't want to be here anymore. Life can be so hard at times, and by age 25 I was sitting on rock bottom. I felt like a complete failure. I had quit on school, I had quit playing sports, I had a failed marriage and was left to raise two small sons on my own. My career, if you could call it that, was going no where. I felt like all my friends had deserted me. I mean, who wants to hang out with someone who has two small children attached to their hip. So there I was, drunk and ready to end it all, when I cried out three little words that changed my life forever, GOD HELP ME!
I remember immediately a picture flashed in my mind of my two sons, and I had a sobering thought of what would happen to them if I went through with what I was about to do. God knew my heart, and knew what would make me reconsider. So I went to my bedroom and cut on the TV and just started flipping channels, when all of a sudden the 700 Club popped on the screen. Now I had no idea what this program was all about, but this preacher was there talking about God’s love. This got my attention. I knew my family loved me, but when you are down that deep dark hole of depression, the devil is steadily feeding you lies, and he had me convinced that no one loved or cared about me. But here was this man talking about God’s love, and my soul was starving to feel loved. At the end of the program there was this number to call for prayer. Now I had never done anything like that before, but I was so desperate I called and poured my out heart to a complete stranger. At the end of our call she prayed with me and told me that I needed to find a Church and that next Sunday I took my boys to Church for the first time. Within a few weeks I publicly proclaimed Jesus as my Lord and was baptized.
After that night, when the lady prayed with me from the prayer line, my life was never the same again. I woke up the next morning with this hunger inside of me, I had no idea what I was hungering, but I wanted to know this God who I had heard about the night before, and it didn't take long before I began experiencing what an wonderful God He is. This first thing He did was put this amazing woman in my life. She would be the one who would take EVERY step of this journey with me, and be there to make sure the devil never again could make me feel unloved. With her loving, supporting, and encouraging me I have gone on to live an amazing life filled with more hope and purpose than I ever dreamed possible. Today, I remember that lost young man well, and I hope I never forget who he was. Because, each height the Lord allows me to climb, I can look back and see just how far I have come. I still have a long way to go, but I am on this amazing path the Lord has me on, and I thank Him EVERY day that He has allowed me to live a life, where I can look myself in the mirror and not be ashamed; and I am so extremely grateful that my precious help-mate is still by my side. I still live each day to make her proud of me. I owe her everything! Without her, I would not be half the man I am today. Yes, I know God is the one who I should give ALL praise and believe me I do daily. But, she was the vessel He chose to continually pour out blessings on my life. You see, that night, when I cried out, God help me! He did, HE SENT HER!
From my heart to yours!
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God bless~
Good story.