AN INSPIRING STORY OF HOPE – Jeffrey Parrott’s testimony

My life story is typical for anyone who has come from a broken and destructive home. In the midst of the darkness and tragedy, a great light came to bring me hope. That’s my desire for you – to bring you hope.

When I was a child all I remember was drunken brawls, anger, heartbreak, and poverty. Not only were we financially struggling on the welfare system but we were also spiritually bankrupt as a family. My mother and father fought most of the time… drugs and alcohol controlled them. The household was devoid of any joy or peace, though it was sought for to no avail.

When I was about five years old, they finally divorced. The rejection, abandonment, anger, hopelessness, and the feelings of being forsaken filled my heart. My mother was left to raised my older brother and I without any contact from my father, he was no where to be found. Can you relate?

That set my trajectory into an aimless life of destruction. Sadly, I started doing drugs and drinking before the age of ten. You need to understand, I was desperate to numb the pain and rejection I had in my heart.

When I was fifteen, further dysfunction set in when I was dealt the greatest blow of despair in my life. My brother was shooting up cocaine and died from an overdose. HE WAS ONLY EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD, SO YOUNG. Life is so fragile. We sometimes think we’re invincible but this experience gave me the reality check that our existence can be snuffed out like the wick of a candle–at any time. Can you relate? One tragic event after another happened to my family. We where flooded with disappointment after disappointment, clawing through life just to survive. It came to the point my mom was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She was desperately trying to cover the pain by drinking herself into oblivion. THE PAIN WAS OVERWHELMING.

At that impressionable age the enemy of my soul was taunting me and influencing me by the deception of hell. My attitude was, I JUST DIDN’T CARE! Violence. Disrespect. Rage. Drugs. Lust. Suicidal thoughts. Loneliness. Pain. Pride. These became my friends and they were taking me straight into the darkness of hell. Can you relate? Until someone told me the TRUTH.

When I was sixteen, finally, someone with courage took the risk to tell me about the Lord Jesus Christ (Ya’shua). I was in high school and really didn’t know anything about religion up until that time. At first I rejected it. I said, “I have enough problems I don’t need this Jesus stuff.” What I didn’t realize at the time is that He’s the answer to deliver me from sin and destruction. Something was happening in my heart. Something about those words, “Jesus loves you.” I was confronted by eternity for the first time. It was foreign to me. I didn’t understand at first. A battle between heaven and hell, light and darkness, raged in my soul for months. Eternal life or eternal destruction? Run to the Heavenly Father or run far away from Him? Questions, questions, questions. I felt I was already in hell and couldn’t handle it anymore. Can you relate? The light of the truth was shining in my heart. I tried diligently to resist it because I knew there had to be change. I wanted eternal life, love, hope and purpose but the price seemed to be too great. Anyway, could God really forgive me for all the horrific and dark things I had done? The question was posed to me several times, “Will you give your heart to Jesus? He really loves you. He will forgive you and has a powerful plan for your life.” My resistance towards God’s truth was waning. One day, to everyone’s surprise in the summer of 1986, I pursued the Christians that I had met and said, “I got to have what you have.” Can you relate? We prayed together and Jesus made me clean, forgave my sin, and sparked love and hope in me. For the first time, I REALLY experienced life!

I’ve been serving the Lord for many years and He has never left me nor forsaken me. He has been faithful even when the storms rage. My Heavenly Father has given me a wonderful family that I love and cherish. He’s raised me up from the ashes and now I’m an ordained minister of Christ. He’s given me the wisdom to understand How His kingdom operates to bring life, love, and provision- POVERTY HAS BEEN DESTROYED! He’s my provider, comforter, and friend. He’s my ever-present help in time of need. He’s my life, purpose, peace, and joy. His love fills my heart to spread the Good News to the entire world.

JESUS WANTS TO SET US FREE FROM SIN AND DESTRUCTION! That’s why I wanted to tell you my story. You are valuable to the Father and He has a great plan for your life. I hope my life story has brought a spark of encouragement to you. He loves you with an everlasting love. Why not give your heart to Him today? I promise, you will not be disappointed. He wants to make you whole so you can touch a hurting world with the message of hope!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Jn. 3:16-17

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’” Rom. 10:9-11

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