From death threats to Jesus with Teen Challenge

Zac’s early life was filled with fear, drugs and crime. However at Teen Challenge in Norwich he discovered hope and a new start. At a recent meeting of Connect Norwich he shared his story.

Zac’s predominant memory from early life is fear. Things were difficult at home, and at school he was teased for his speech disorder. He explains: “I don’t really remember a morning not scared to wake up as a child.”

Although his family were Catholic, Zac found it difficult to believe in God. He reports that “I really didn't feel like I was loved at this time…I really could not wait to run away from God.”

Once Zac started high school he became involved with drugs. Beginning with daily use of cannabis, it quickly escalated to involving cocaine and ecstasy. Zac explains that he found an acceptance from his friends who took drugs which he hadn’t experienced before in life. By the end of high school Zac had started dealing and manufacturing drugs himself to fund his addiction. This led to further involvement in crime, including burglaries. He was in trouble with the law and had created some dangerous enemies.

Zac remembers two particular times when he reached rock bottom and called out to God.  The first came following a dispute about money. Zac describes what happened: “They tied me up, they had knives put on me…and I remember just saying like, God if you're real, if you're really there, don't let me get hurt, please don't let me get hurt and that's all I kept thinking of, God just don't let me get hurt.” Miraculously he was released. However Zac still wasn’t sure about whether he could really believe in God.

The next crunch point came when Zac himself was preparing to kill someone. His family had been threatened and at the time Zac reluctantly felt this left him with no choice but to act first. Having made a plan, the day finally came when he was going to commit the murder. However he was filled with desperation, and Zac remembers that he called out “God, if you are really there, help me. I really don't want to do this. And it was literally a few minutes that I just had  something come upon me and it just took away all my fears, anxieties,  stress and everything. And I just felt so much peace.”

Zac then rang his former girlfriend who he knew had already given her life to Jesus, and she told him he needed to go to Teen Challenge.

Zac has been at Norwich Teen Challenge for nearly a year now and his life has changed completely: “I've got to experience the goodness of God here and I truly do have  such great hope for my future. So now I'm looking to go to a leadership academy in September and further my study of  God and build a better relationship with Him.”

You can read more about Teen Challenge and how to support them here: /Articles/720272/Network_Norwich_and_Norfolk/Partners/Connect_Norwich/Norwich_Teen_Challenge_issue_church_invitation.aspx
 

Photo of Zac speaking at a Connect Norwich meeting courtesy of Rayne Black.