Have you ever heard from an ex-offender before? I have never. But today was my very first time. Every year, our church participate in the Yellow Ribbon Project. This year, they invited three person to our church. Out of the three, one have been in and out of prison three times. He came here specially to share about how God has impacted and changed his life.
Let me begin the story...
Jeremy comes from a very broken family. When he was 2, his parents divorced. When he was 6, his father remarried another women which then became his stepmother. He never liked his stepmother. He was always hurt verbally and physically by his stepmother. He knew that in a family all are supposed to love one another. But he never finds the love at home.
He never listens to his father. His father often cane him. Each time he gets caning, the number of canes get larger. From one, to two, to four... One day when he was fifteen, his dad got really angry with him. He brought Jeremy to his room and threw him to the wall. And as he was being thrown to the wall, his father was also after him. His dad stretched his arms into the wardrobe. Thinking that it was just another caning that he will get, he did not fear that much. That was until his father's hand withdrew from the wardrobe. He was shocked! It was not a cane, a belt or anything that you would think was in his hands. It was a jungle knife(parang). His dad had wanted to kill his own son. How could that be possible? Fortunately, his stepmother pushed his dad aside before he had the opportunity to pierce the knife through his body. At that moment, Jeremy was very hurt.
Soon, he escaped from home. He made many friends. All of them became gangsters and were involved in gang fights. He went into Changi training centre. He got out. He never changed. He wanted to be the gang leader this time round. And he did. He got back into prison, and came out again. His father was really mad at him. He once again sent his son to prison. During his stay in prison, he realised how much his father loved him. His father told him that for 27 years, he has not been listening to him. And for all the occasions that his father was allowed to visit him in prison, he never missed any. So he decided that he should change. A pastor went up to him, and shared Christ with him. He said that accepting Christ is for free. So he accepted, but not from his heart. But after he learnt more about Jesus, he thought that he should just tell his cell mates that he does not want to gang up with them anymore. But he was not sure if he was going to be beaten by them everyday. He prayed hard. When he had the courage to do it, with little faiths, he told his cell mates. Nothing happened to him. He was not beaten up by any.
Then when he got out of prison, like many others, he had to face another invisible prison. It was hard for him to look for job. But he heard God's calling to start his own company. He had nothing in mind at that point of time. He prayed for God's help. And soon, he set up his own company. It was a company for those ex-offenders. He thought that nobody would be by his side. But God sent people to him. And soon, he not only had one or two company, but three. Their purpose was to go back to the cell to share about their lives. And do whatever they could to impact other's lives.
God chose him, a person who was once so ............... (you name them), to do such a wonderful thing. If he is able to do that, he will be able to call anyone of us to do is will. That's how awesome our God is.
And today during bible study, I learnt that being a Christian is like running a marathon, one that never ends. Who have to put down all our burdens(sins) and be constant, before we will be able run the whole race. If in the beginning of the marathon, we start running very fast, we will not last. And if we carry so many things with us, we will also not last. So be that very consistent runner of this Christian marathon. You will be able to finish the race(your life on earth) with ease.
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