I was married at the age of 15, divorced at the age of 18, with two beautiful daughters. I was a self-employed carpenter since the age of 15 and owned my own renovation business. Both my daughters lived with me at my mom’s since the age of 11, and I would say we had a good relationship. I was into drugs, smoking, gambling, and pornography since the age of 13, this is not all I was into but for space I am going to use this now. The older I got the more drugs I did and the deeper I fell into pornography. It was not long before I was doing everything and anything to get high on. I became so obsessed with pornography that I was spending hundreds of dollars a week on it. My obsession for this kind of behavior was fueled by my drug use, and the drugs gave me the courage to do things I would not do if I was sober.
As I look back now I was living in a fantasy world, and because of this behavior I am now serving a 37 to 70 year prison sentence, and have now been incarcerated for the past 20 years in a Michigan State Prison.
I was in the Van Buren County Jail awaiting trial for 14 months on the crime I am now serving time for. I was on 24 hour suicide watch for most of that time for making threats on my life. I no longer desired to go on living at that time. My lawyers kept telling me that the best deal they could get me was 20 to 40 years in prison for a crime I did not think deserved that much time. This had me in a deep depression, and I was having deep withdrawals from all the drugs I had been using. The chaplain from Forgotten Man Ministries would visit the jail once a week and would try to get me to read the Bible and attend the service they held in the lobby, but I would always tell him that Christianity was not for me, but on December 31, 1993, the chaplain and a friend came to my cell and invited me to the midnight service they were having that night. I felt that tug in my heart so I attended. (John 15:16).
This was the greatest day of my life that has changed the way I think and look at life. The pastor that was speaking that night spoke on putting your hope and trust in God and that no matter what man says, God has the final say so. This had to be what I need to hear and was looking for. That was the night I gave my life to the Lord and have been faithfully seeking Him with all my heart since daily through His word, in prayer and studying of His word and serving Him where ever I can. Hebrews 4:12, 1 Peter 2:1-3, Psalm 37:5-6, Colossians 1:21-23.
Since I have made God the Lord of my life, my life has changed dramatically. I now look at life so much differently now. I no longer take thing for granted anymore. It’s not about me anymore. The Lord has delivered me from smoking, a foul mouth, gambling, drugs, pornography and so much more. He has filled me with His Love and compassion in my heart towards all people, even people that I should be at war with in here. Being in a controlled environment, I cannot just get up and walk away from issues that arise. I have learned to trust in Him and use His word to guide me. (Psalm 119:105) I have grown in my relationship with the Lord through correspondence courses since the day I accepted Jesus into my heart. Every day since I gave my life to the Lord I have been seeking Him daily in prayer and His word. I am thankful for being alive and set free spiritually even in prison. Thank You Jesus!! God has worked miracles in my life for healing many injuries over the years according to His word in 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:4-5, and Jeremiah 30:17. God continues to pour out His blessings and goodness in my life as I continue to grow in my relationship with him. Thank You Jesus for saving me!
Note from the Editor: As of this posting (June 2013) Steve was incarcarated at the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kincheloe, Michigan. He can be reached by email at jpay.com, search for Steve Homola. His ID number is #19041.
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