I grew up in a Christian home and became a Christian when I was young. I became involved in the church as a teenager, leading services as a youth leader.
I got married at 21 — too young. My wife left me after seven years, and I turned back on God for some time. I ended up going to Bible college around 30 years old. I married one of my teachers and went to seminary, but didn’t go into the field of my masters. I went back to doing my old trade.
That marriage lasted about 18 years. I started drinking too much and she didn’t like it. I left and moved back to my home town. The drinking continued for a numbers of years, culminating in a few arrests and jail time. By then, we were separated. That got me to stop drinking for good.
I was disobedient to God through a lot of this time, even though I was attending church. My relationship with God went through a lot of ups and downs.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
A couple years ago, I found myself back in jail. After being in here for a few months, I gave my heart back to God. He restored my relationship to Him. I had a desire for God’s Word like a deer pants for water (Psalm 42:1-2). I gained a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
The chaplain at the remand centre had a big influence on me. I started Bible courses — including Crossroads — and those had a big influence on me too. I had to read the Bible to answer the questions, and all this led me to restore my relationship with God. Actually, it was God that did the restoring.
I feel free and peaceful even though I am behind concrete and bars. God is taking care me and answering my prayers. My life is in His hands, and good is going to come out of this situation. I am trusting God for everything. Now I know Him tremendously, and want to obey Him in everything. I talk to him and read my Bible daily to stay on track. I meditate and keep a journal. These are things I did not do on the outside.
Dwayne has been a student with Crossroads since April 2018 and recently enrolled in our Tier 2 curriculum. He is a faithful and committed student. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.