From death to life

‘My story is truly one where I’ve gone from death to life. I know that God has saved me, and it’s been the biggest thing that’s ever happened in my life. Sharing my story is such a big part of my life now, and I’d love to share it with you too. ‘Back in 2020, I was sent to prison. During my first couple of weeks in there, I was feeling heartbroken, lonely and depressed. It was one of the darkest times in my life. I was in such a bad place that I didn’t want to live any more – it was that tough for me. I was so without hope.

‘When I was at rock bottom, I picked up a book that the prison had given me. It was a diary that I could write in and at the top of the pages were Bible verses like Exodus 33:19, Mark 11:24 and Psalm 18:6. They immediately caught my eye and jumped out to me. They were so moving. I kept reading and each one connected to me and my situation. I couldn’t get enough. I went through the whole diary, reading each verse and writing them all down, and that’s when something changed. I felt hope and that I was no longer alone. I started feeling better and knew that I needed to get a Bible and read more, so I did just that. As I sat with my Bible, I did the same thing I’d done with the diary, reading through it and writing the verses down. It was so uplifting, like God was speaking right to me and that he was trying to help me in my lowest moments.

‘That’s when I gave my life to God. If it wasn’t for him stepping in and speaking to me, things would have been so different – I don’t think I would be here.

‘I felt hope and that I was no longer alone.’

‘I know that God saved me. I went from someone who was in such a dark place with thoughts full of loneliness and heartbreak to being completely turned around, standing up straight and being ready to take on the world because I had hope, joy and peace. It was the most powerful moment of my life.

‘But I knew nothing about God. I knew he was with me, helping me be strong in my moments of huge weakness, but I knew nothing about being a Christian.

‘I wanted to learn more, so I went along to a Bible study that was being run in the prison. That’s where I met Owain, a prisons worker for The Message Trust. He spoke to us about the story of Joseph and how, like him, God is with us throughout the highs and lows of our lives. And, wow, the worship after that Bible study was incredible. It was my first experience of worship – I’d never seen anything like it! That Bible study was the first time I could pray, study the Bible and worship with others, and it was amazing – I absolutely loved it.

‘Owain started helping me understand the Bible and the more I learned about Jesus, the more I knew I needed to repent from my sins and ask for forgiveness. I felt like I couldn’t be a good Christian because of what I had done. But then Owain told me about how Jesus took all my guilt and shame on the cross. It was such a pivotal moment for me, and my faith has grown from strength to strength since.

‘Fast forward to when I was about to be released from prison and Owain came to see me saying he wanted to help me get settled into a church. The one he’d found is the one I’m still at now, and Owain supported me the whole way through my resettlement. We kept meeting regularly for coffee – and still do – to catch up and unpack more from the Bible and learn more about living life as a Christian. It’s amazing to know that Owain and The Message are journeying with me in my whole life, not just when I was in prison. They want to support me all the way.

‘I know that God has saved me, and it’s been the biggest thing that’s ever happened in my life.’

‘I’m still growing in my passion for Jesus and I’m continually learning more about the Bible – I’m loving it so much. Now I can’t stop sharing my testimony! I often get invited to tell it in churches, and I even got to head back into the prison I’d been in to share my story with the men there. Being back in the place where I found God and he changed my life filled me with gratitude. As I shared my story to a full room, I knew the lads understood how I felt, and many came up to me at the end in tears saying how my story had encouraged them.

‘And that’s my prayer: that God will use my story to encourage others in a similar situation that there is hope, there is a God who loves them and that the glory is God’s!

‘Looking to the future, I’m inspired by Acts 20:24. I want to keep sharing my testimony with others because it’s proof of God’s gospel of grace. I also hope to head out on mission soon with my church and take part in an evangelism course too so that I can learn more about sharing Jesus with others.

‘God knows the plans he has for me, and I trust him to guide me and provide for me. I’m so thankful he saved my life and changed everything.’