In my past, I had been very rude to Christ. I did so many things which I am ashamed to talk about. I was not worthy to be called a human being. In my past I was a robber and well talented in street stealing from people late at night. I used to lead a gang of six men. We used to beat people, rob them and then leave them on the road.
I was a card player; gambler, smoker, drinker and I would do anything needed to survive. No one could stop me... or so I thought. My friends would tell me stop living this way. My parents used to warn me but I never took them seriously. I knew I was sinning but never thought to come out of it since it was my passion. Slowly, my life became like the life of a street dog. Maybe I was even worse than that.
A number of Christian men tried to encourage me to turn away from my bad ways. They asked me to attend church in order to have peace in my life. The more I robbed and cheated, the less peace I had in my life. I felt useless in my life. Slowly my friends started cheating me in the stolen good we would robe.
The best thing I had in my life was that I was married to a very faithful woman. My wife was a loving woman to me even though I had never been good to her. We had 4 kids; 2 girls and 2 boys. Now they are all married and have children.
When my children were small, I used to come home with stolen things which my wife never wanted to use for the children. Instead she worked in the fields and made money to feed the children. She prayed for many years for my salvation. Because of me, she spent many sleepless nights not knowing and wondering when I would arrive home so late and sometimes in the early mornings. When I came home she would feed me. I never asked her if the kids had food or what they were doing. Imagine how worthless my life was.
In January 1985, I was arrested by the police and put in jail. I was imprisoned for six months. I saw many men crying for their past mistakes. Slowly I realized what I was doing and how horrible it had been for the families I had attacked.
At that very moment I had no idea God was working in me. On Sundays, a preacher would visit the jail to share the word of God with the prisoners.
The preacher asked me to hear the voice of the Lord. He said that God’s love could change my life. He said His voice could heal my wounds and the pain would go away. He promised my peace would be restored and that my life would be in His hands now. I did not understand what this man was saying but now I understand the grace He was poured out on me. What a lovely Father that saved a sinner like me and lets me serve Him now. It is so great to think that He can use a man like me for His glory.
I tear up every time I think of what He has done for me. He taught me about love... the love of every man and His sacrifice for us has really touched my life completely. My entire family walked to the church seeking God’s love and His fellowship. God has changed many things in my family. So I decided to live like a good man. I came straight home from jail with so much happiness. I was so happy and in my hands I had just a little money which I earned in jail by doing some garden work. I brought food and clothes for my family. To see me in that way, the entire family cried when they saw me... including myself. There were days I came before the Lord thanking Him for the change He made in my life. Everyone who saw me started saying; “Is this that Prasad who used to rob?” My wife was so happy and my kids were like heaven to me. A new life had begun in me. I was baptized and started going to church. My entire family walked to the church seeking God’s love and His fellowship. God has changed many things in my family. I started working for a company nearby. Though it’s a small job, it had given me full happiness instead of what the stolen money had given me.
For many months, there was happiness in our family, but I had forgotten that the enemy doesn’t like seeing the children of God happy and soon the enemy worked in my wife’s life and she turned against God which I never imagined or expected. I had no clue that she would turn away so suddenly. She met a boy nearby our home and started spending time with him. She began enjoying life with him when I was not at home. After few weeks I learned that she was roaming with him. I cried a lot. I wanted to die with the shame I felt. I want to kill her or else I thought I’d become mad. It happened all of sudden while I was thinking my life was good and everywhere there was peace. The enemy used her in many ways. She went away with this man for couple of months. She left home and I searched for them in many places but I could not find her. I wanted to kill her at the beginning, but slowly I began to understand the love of God and realized my enemy was not my wife. The enemy wanted to attack me again and send me back to my previous life.
So I made a strong decision in Christ, at any cost, that I should not turn away from Him. So I started searching for her in peace. All I wanted was to accept her back home for the kids. My anger went away and God eased my pain. I also was praying a lot. For months she did not come back but suddenly one morning I heard she was in a village almost 500 miles away from my place. So I went there. My heart broke down to see her in that place. Finally by God’s grace I brought her home.
Many people told me to leave her but God had changed my life and my thoughts completely. I have completely depended on Him and told Him that if He would bring her back I would serve Him. So here I am now in His hands bringing souls for His kingdom. My wife passed away two years back. We had a good life after this incident. For many years we lived and shared the good and the bad. In everything we glorified God. I’m in His peace now. God is so powerful, He eased my pain and He restored my peace. My faith is strong in Jesus Christ.
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