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I thought that by
wearing a dog collar, black clothing, chains, and becoming involved with
Satanists, I had found all of the love and acceptance I would ever need.
The gang I ran with was violent. We believed that by hurting other
people, Satan would be pleased with us. I watched intently as one our
Satanist gang members once beat another person into unconsciousness. His
victim’s uncontrollable convulsions sent chills up my spine. I trembled
as I watched his body fight for its final breath.
I’m Daniel. At the age of thirteen, I
smoked my first joint. Thinking that pot was non addictive, I believed I
could control it at will but it wasn’t long until I realized that it was
controlling me. I later began doing prescription pills and to support my
addiction, I became a dealer. Drugs transformed me from a caring child,
into a violent, selfish drug junkie. I eventually became addicted to
powder and crack cocaine, as well as ecstasy. I resorted to selfish
means of getting my much-needed drugs. I sank to such depravity that I
once illegally entered my grandmother’s house and stole all of the money
from her purse. I felt no guilt because the drugs had numbed me beyond
normal feelings. I had little appetite and weighed less then a hundred
and fifty pounds. Surviving on minimal food, I pawned every thing I
owned. If you had met me on the street, you probably would have felt
uncomfortable looking at me. My black attire represented the death that
was overtaking me. The look on my face represented my utter despair. The
chains I wore represented the bondage that Satan had on my very soul.
The dog collar represented the animal I had become. Drinking alcohol and
popping pills was a means of escaping the inner pain that violence had
left on my life.
Once, while doing a mixture of drugs,
I overdosed. I can recall the hellacious hallucinations I experienced.
Knowing that if I lost consciousness I would die, I literally begged my
buddies to keep me awake. I could feel my heart beating as if it were
going to explode. Later, while sitting in a bar, drinking my life away,
I felt something tugging at my heart. I staggered home and to my
surprise, a youth pastor was waiting for me. He reminded me of the
relationship I had once enjoyed with Christ. I prayed and asked the Lord
to forgive me, and I believe he did, however, I was not disciplined
enough to maintain my closeness with him. As a result, I returned to
drugs. I became depressed and sank into an emotional low. I contacted my
mother who had been praying for me. She told me about Teen Challenge and
I later enrolled into the training center. It was there that God’s power
delivered me from the bondage Satan had on my life. I have now traded my
black garments for a robe of righteousness! A helmet of salvation has
replaced my dog collar, and my chains have been replaced by complete
freedom in Christ! |
