I wake up to complete darkness, still a bit confused I lie to hear what it is that woke me such early hours of the morning. As I listen, the sound comes again, soft sobs, some more louder than others.. Listening I try to make out where the sobs are coming from, I recognise those cries and bend hoping to see who has crawled under my bed in search of safety, “bro what are you doing there?”  I ask

“Why are you crying?”   “Sus I am scared I just want to lie here for a while”. I take my pillow and my blanket and crawl under the bed with him, its anyway much safer here, and it’s a place I have visited much too often.

This is only one of my childhood memories. Please don’t get me wrong I have wonderful parents but alcohol can turn the best of intentions into the worst of nightmares. One of the reason I turned to God. Fear had become a friend I knew too well, he would accompany me on my trips to school and back. he would be there in the pit of my stomach as I stood at our garden gate listening to hear what would be waiting for me when I finally pushed it open and walked up to the door.

Many children have these memories, the memory of spending Christmas in a field outside your house with your brothers and a blanket if you were lucky enough to grab one in time. I remember one Christmas hiding outside our yard on the island between two streets, watching our house as my mom and dad would fight. Calming my little brother down as his Christmas train set would get smashed.. asking God how long would this continue?

How many more memories are there stuck in our minds as we look at our own lives, and the many mistakes we ourselves have made since then. Then forgiveness comes because we know that when God steps in miracles happen and lives are changed.

If we look at our world it is rapidly changing and people have this idea that we have to adapt to survive, that is so wrong, the only way we can survive is to go before God beg Him to forgive us and ask Him to live within us. Because if you are planning on facing a world without God I can tell you now already; you will not survive.

Yes, it might go good for a while, and you might feel your choice was right but when you are all dried up and washed out do you think your friends will be there? Do you think that your death will lead to glory? NO I am here to tell you; your only way of surviving this rapidly changing world is to let God in, you might still have difficulties and tribulations BUT you will never know what it means to ever feel alone again!

So take this time, leave your past behind, it has no more power over you, take up a new destiny in Jesus and walk tall knowing that no matter what; Christ will never let go.

Praying for you…always!