Introduction
Vance had fallen so deep into trouble, pain and emptiness, he no longer knew the way out. He felt as though he was wasting his life. But God reached down from on high and took hold of Vance, rescuing him out of the deep waters.Vance's true story is one of many uniquely featured testimonies from you, the members and visitors of this site. Each story reveals a life transformed by Christian faith. If your relationship with God has made a significant difference in your life, we would like to hear about it. Submit your testimony by filling out this Submission Form.
Vance's Rescue from Deep Waters
My Dad's most notable achievement in life was being a member of the Hell's Angels in the late 1950's. He eventually drowned on his own vomit. He was 42 years old when he died.My Mom's life was patterned with numerous broken relationships, alcohol abuse, drug overdoses and several suicide attempts. She died at the age of 61 as a result of end stage lung and liver disease.
In spite of this, I gave my life to Christ at a very young age. I did my best to keep as close to God as possible throughout a childhood of upheaval, but I never looked for help when I really needed it. I endured until the age of 15 before beginning to self-destruct.
Losing Track
I gave up on my Christian walk and began to emulate the lifestyle that surrounded me. I began drinking, smoking pot, and getting into trouble. By the age of 16 I was convicted for joyriding. At the age of 17, I was arrested for possession of marijuana. I began taking multiple hits of LSD. I eventually took so much that I lost track of fact from fiction.
While I was still 17, I drove a couple of people I knew to and from houses where they entered and took guns. Nine days after my 18th birthday I was arrested for that activity. I lived by the code and took the rap, allowing my accomplices to go free. I was extremely fortunate not to do state time.
Throughout the next seven years, I was arrested 15 more times as a result of alcohol and substance abuse. The drunk tank truly became my friend. By the time I was 19 I had discovered the drug crystal methamphetamine. I began drinking even more heavily.
Three months after my 22nd birthday I was riding on the hood of a car with several of my friends. I had taken a considerable amount of speed and had spent a long evening drinking beer and half of a fifth of Jim Beam. The driver of the car swerved. I fell off and was dragged under the car, embedding skin and denim into the highway for 14 feet. The driver notified the fire department of the accident and hid in a motel room, not sure of what to do next.
