“I’m sorry God. I don’t try to do you wrong. Please forgive me. Amen.” Those were my words I had spoken to God out loud in front of someone. It was the first time in a long time that I had spoken to God. What bugs me most is the fact that it was asking for forgiveness. It wasn’t a conversation about what was going on in my life. When I was little, I would lie in bed and take and talk to God out loud. Ask him to look over the hungry in other countries and those who were unfortunate not to have luxury items, or even essential items to live. Always asking Him to look after my family and my pet dog coco, but never did I ask Him to look after me. Not in personal conversations anyway. I grew up visiting a church 3-4 times a year, until I was 8 or 9. Then I only visited church for wedding and funerals. Grace was only good during holiday meals or family reunions. All personal conversations with God stopped. As I went through my teens, trouble began, first through drinking, which I quit because I didn’t like it. After high school, meth took all I had ever worked for, and I had only dabbled for 2 months. But it’s just that bad. My family was showing me tough love, by not enabling me, and having me leave their house. I had no place to go. So the Columbus Rescue Mission is the place I had to turn to. Learning about God and the Gospel and seeing how it makes people treat one another, caused me to become more interested. I began asking questions and reading the bible more and more. The longer I stayed at the Mission, the more I learned. I began to feel myself fill with happiness and care and have concern for people I didn’t even know. Chaplain Ted said that “for those who put their faith in God and trusts in Christ will have everlasting life”. I am sure those were not his exact words, but that is how I remember it. Ted said, “Are you ready?  What are you waiting for? What do you have to lose?” Knowing my old ways got me to where I am and being mad at myself for letting me destroy my life. With a tear in my eye, I said help me, how do we do this. So Ted helped me pray. Right then and there I died to myself, giving up sin for something that’s more promising.