Liam's Testimony

Last weekend I met with an old friend who was talking about what they had been upto the night before. They mentioned some drug use they had been involved with. It wasn’t such a strange conversation to have with me as I have been involved at the top levels of the drug industry on the south coast of NSW in Australia. It wasn’t too long ago when I was using, manufacturing, transporting and managing massive quantities of methamphetamines, also known as ICE. I was also involved with violent drug related crime and many other illegal activities. I have done a lot of bad things, some very bad things and some downright evil things.

The point isn’t WHAT I have done, more WHY? Why was I like this? The best reason I can come up with is that people recognised that I was good at it. Very good at it. I felt valued and important. I had created this fantastic life all by myself, I wasn’t a victim, I made the conscious choice to excel in my chosen profession.

If someone had a court case they needed help with getting around – I could do it.
Needed a way to source ingredients or manufacture drugs – I could do it.
Wanted to arrange a large shipment of drugs to be moved – I could do it.
Someone needed to be reminded of an outstanding debt – I could do it.

I felt needed, valued and part of something. So, why leave this great life? Well, obviously, it’s not such a great life. I have narrowly escaped jail time, slightly avoided overdoses and literally dodged more than one bullet intended for me. I received my “long service” payment which was a diagnosis of Paranoid Schizophrenia. In all honesty, not an ideal life. After deciding to get away from all this, my daughter, Alexis, was born.

God was tapping me on the shoulder forcing my eyes open. The people around me in the drug industry didn’t value me, I wasn’t important to them. I could see how God had delivered me from all my stupidity and evil. He had kept me safe and alive when by all accounts I should be dead. This life was no longer mine, I didn’t deserve it! After all, look at what I had done with it! So, I put my trust in God and handed control of my life over to Him.

I would love to say that everything has been smooth sailing since putting my faith in God, but that’s just not true. More importantly, that’s not the point. I put my trust in God, because I couldn’t NOT do it. God sent His son to die for me. Everything I have done, all the evil I have been involved with, Jesus took the punishment for it all so that I could have eternal life. For me, that is someone valuing me, thinking I’m important.

It has been nearly a year since I renewed my trust in God and what a year! By the Grace of God I have been welcomed into an incredible church family in spite of my past; I have made friends with Godly people who respect, inspire and encourage me; I have been lead by God to bible college and also have recently completed study for Chaplaincy in hospitals.

I was given a bible many years ago. In the dedication part of it my ex-wife wrote from Ephesians 2: verses 8-10

“ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

So, since coming to God, what’s it been like? Well, everyday starts the same – I thank God I am alive and I ask Him the same question:

God, How can I serve you today?