Christ Changed My Life!
My earliest memories are from about age four or five. At that age and through childhood my father was an alcoholic. When he got drunk, he became mean. He would beat up my mother and beat us kids. My mother did the best she could to raise us to be good kids. She talked about God and told us about Jesus. She made us go to Sunday school and church. But with no love or guidance from my alcoholic father I had no male role model.
When I was about ten years old I began to hang out with older guys. I wanted to be “cool” like they were. My mom and father split up and she remarried. My stepfather was a Catholic and he insisted that we should go to church. I went but it was mostly to have fun.
I did learn some Christian songs and I heard more about Jesus. When I was about fourteen or fifteen, I began to think I knew everything. I began to smoke cigarettes, chase the girls, and to ride a motorcycle. I was trying to fit in with the older guys and be a macho man.
When I was seventeen, I got married. My wife was Catholic so I agreed to go and learn Catholic ways of living. I learned some names of the books of the Bible, I learned a few verses, and some prayers. But I chose to run from God. From age eighteen to twenty-three I could tell that my life was falling apart. I was still out to prove that I was a real man. I began to fight in “Tough Men’s Contests.” We fought with bare fists and made a little money from it. I was going from bad to worse. I ended up in divorce at age 24, lost my job, my wife, and son.
After the divorce I began to run around in the wrong crowd. I worked off and on at various jobs just to get by. I began to smoke a lot of pot. I ended up in prison in 1991. Suddenly I realized the mess I was in. On July 1, 1992, I got on my knees and invited Christ into my life. Since that day I’ve never felt alone. When I’m sad and hurting, God is with me; and, when I’m happy, He is still with me. When I understood that the Holy Spirit was working in my life, I could even enjoy being in prison. My love for God caused me to love other people and I now wanted to help them. I’ve learned that without God you cannot find real happiness. It is impossible.
In 1994 I was transferred from prison to the Grand Rapids Correction Center on Wealthy Street. I heard that Alpha Prison Ministries had support meetings to give guidance and to help us to mature spiritually. I found the Alpha leaders to be loving and I learned many new things about the Bible. I’m very thankful for their care and encouragement.
After being paroled and working awhile, I experienced a ruptured disk in my back. I had to have back surgery. Even though I couldn’t work God blessed me and met my needs. The Alpha Prison Ministries people prayed for me and encouraged me through this hard time. I married a Christian young woman with four kids. We now have our own home and God has blessed us and meets all our needs.
I’m so glad I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and I regularly read my Bible and pray. Life used to be empty and unfulfilling. Now every day is a good day because Christ is in my life. I still have some bad things happen, but God helps me through every one of them. I’m thankful to God and to Alpha Prison Ministries for all the help I’ve received. I love God with all my heart. I hope this testimony will help you trust in the Lord and to turn your live over to Him.
Kevin — Originally published in March 1999
