Assurance in Our Savior
Dave giving his testimony of the Lord's redemption at graduation (2020).
If you look at the story of Adam and Eve, their one mistake separated them from God. However, God would never stop caring for them. Later, the Lord would come to earth in the form of man to renew the connection between God and mankind. Because of the Lord’s great mercy, there is nothing that can separate us from God.
For Dave, born in a household riddled with addiction, a relationship with God was not at the forefront of his upbringing. Growing up in a dysfunctional home, he has few happy memories from his childhood. The course of his life changed when, at seven years old, he found his father dead from congestive heart failure.
As home life became more unstable, Dave entered the foster care system. Around this time, he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and prescribed Ritalin. Later, doctors discovered that Dave had been misdiagnosed and did not have ADD, resulting in hospitalization for three weeks; to safely detox from the medication. Throughout his trials, the Lord was protecting Dave—during his father’s death, in foster care, on Ritalin—The Lord was always watching him.
For Dave, school was for socializing. He had many friends and didn’t care much about his studies. At the age of thirteen, Dave tried alcohol. Alcohol was the first in a long trail of substances that resulted in an addiction to cocaine and opiates by seventeen. However, as Dave fell deeper into his difficulties, Christ pursued him. Dave was introduced to Christ by a mentor in his neighborhood. He began reading the Bible and was interested in the good news of Christ. However, Dave’s struggles overshadowed his newfound interest in the Lord. Consumed by anxiety, depression, drugs, and arrests, Dave was in a cycle of addictions that only made the hole in his heart larger.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Dave and his fellow graduates, smiling for a group picture a few weeks before graduation (2020).
In his early twenties, Dave had his first serious relationship that brought him a son. However, the relationship with his son’s mother caused more hardship in his life. His addictions continued, but Christ never stopped pursuing Dave. “I realized my need for the Lord when I found my Bible outside, underneath a tarp, after going many years without even picking it up, let alone reading it,” said Dave.
God stirred Dave to read his Bible and he soon realized he needed sobriety. Dave felt pulled in two different directions — self-satisfaction or the new life that Christ offered. “God met me in my darkness and revealed the light of the Gospel, even though I was trapped in addiction, refusing to repent and completely give my life to Christ.”
After being arrested for theft and arson, Dave made some difficult but necessary decisions. He needed to break the patterns in his life and start making better choices. While incarcerated, he ended his dysfunctional relationship with his son’s mother, began praying regularly, and applied to His Mansion. “Ultimately God used my time in jail to save me from completely destroying my life.”
For the first time in his life, Dave’s choices brought him freedom. From the moment he arrived at His Mansion, he knew this was where he belonged. Dave admired the graduating residents—guys who had struggled but now were content and set on a new path in Christ. Additionally, Dave valued the structure introduced into daily life and how Christ was at the center of everything.
Dave splitting wood on work crew (2019).
Learning to heal relationships, Dave slowly began to develop a strong bond with his son, now that he was becoming a new man. By walking through his pain, he developed a personal connection with Christ. The love of the community allowed him to recognize his worth in the eyes of the Lord. He began to understand that no matter how much he had pursued the world, it did not compare to the grace of God that saved him.
Now, Dave is on a new path with Christ. He is working toward a stronger relationship with his son by getting visitation rights. Currently, he is furthering his education and enrolled in a Commercial Driving School, working toward a Commercial Driver’s License. As he continues in life, Dave has the assurance that the Lord is protecting him, despite the trials he may encounter.