There was a song I heard in my childhood years that had a verse that said, “If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side, where would I be?” This verse expresses the theme of my heart when I think of the goodness of God and all he has done for me. If it had not been for a God who loves his enemies, where would I be? And it if had not been for a God who looked upon me with pity and acted upon me with grace, then where would I be? Only God truly knows where I would be, but because I know where I was, I magnify Jehovah for where I am today. I stand and testify of a heart changing God who has delivered my soul from the chains of darkness and joined it to the Son of light. The Almighty Father has proved his love to me in ways that have left me so convinced that there is no greater love. And as I reflect upon the saving grace that has produced my conversion, my heart is overwhelmed with a great debt that is due to his name. At a time when I thought that all hope was lost, the hands of God were directing the events of my life in order for his power to be seen.

The incidents that brought about my conversion are living monuments that bear witness to the patience, mercy, and forgiveness of the God who is as powerful today as he was in the days of Moses. On the ninth of June 2000, a day that is far from being forgotten, an event occurred that would eventually change my life forever. On this day I decided to engage in a criminal act of which I had never done before. I was barely eighteen years old and a high school graduate for only nine days. Young and full of worldly aspirations, my reasons for participating in this crime were a combination of greed, pride, and the fear of rejection. I had little concern about the consequences of my actions but not enough to restrain my ambitions. So there I was, even in the brightness of the morning, endeavoring to experience a new dimension of the criminal life in an attempt to gain not only wealth, but also a higher degree of honor within my social group.

As I proceeded to engage in this crime, something suddenly occurred that was not apart of the plan. It just so happened that while I was leaving the scene, an officer was driving down the same street, headed directly toward the scene. By the time I noticed him, it was too late to get into my vehicle. Therefore, I walked along the city street hoping that he would just drive by, but he did not. To my surprise and dismay he stopped right beside me and stepped out of his car. After a short investigation a foot pursuit transpired, after which I was arrested. So there I was, detained in the County jail. This was my first time incarcerated as an adult. The only other time I spent incarcerated was when I was sixteen years old. And even that was not a true incarceration because it lasted for only a few hours until my father arrived to get me. However, this time was different; hours turned into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months. But little did I know that the hands of God were directing the events in order for his power to be seen.