Druggie jailed 5 times before he listened

Blog

Druggie jailed 5 times before he listened

Frank was raised in a family of drug addicts. Life at home was so rough that when he was thirteen, he ran away from home.

“I was basically raised by people on the streets who were gang members, pimps, drug dealers, prostitutes, and criminals,” Frank says. “I was corrupted from the age of thirteen.”

As he grew older, he began using drugs himself. His drug use led to crimes, which led to prison time.

“The first time I went to prison, a few people tried to get me to read the Bible and they tried to talk to me about Jesus,” Frank remembers. “But I wouldn’t listen to them. In fact, I laughed at them and told them that they were crazy.”

After Frank was released, he found himself in prison again for a second time. Then third time. Then a fourth time. Every time he went back to prison, someone tried to tell him about Jesus. But every time, he ignored them.

Although he refused to listen, the words still made an impact.
“Each time the attempt was made, it made me curious as to what
it was all about,” Frank says. “It was always in the back of my
mind.”

When Frank was sentenced for the fifth time, the cycle was
starting to get old.

“I was in the Cook County Jail waiting to be sent to prison,” he
recalls. “I was sitting on the floor next to a garbage can, just
thinking about my life and how it has been so messed up,
wondering why so much bad has happened to me.”

Frank’s first instinct was to throw the Bible into the trash can. But
he didn’t. He opened the Bible and began to read it for the first
time in his life.

The seeds that had been planted in his heart over the years
were finally taking root.

“I read the whole Gospel of Matthew,” Frank says. “When I
finished reading it, I couldn’t stop crying. The words touched me

Then, someone approached him and handed him a Bible. “Jesus
has work for you to do,” he told Frank.

in a way that nothing ever has. And on that day, I accepted Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior.”

As a new Christian, he struggled to understand everything he was
reading. He started to get distracted by different religions and felt
overwhelmed and lost.

A cellmate connected Frank with a Christian friend of his named
Gary, and they began to write letters to each other. Gary helped
Frank strengthen his faith. He also sent him an enrollment form
for Crossroads Prison Ministries.

“The Crossroads Bible studies helped me even more, and it’s still
helping me now,” says Frank. “I have grown so much and it’s truly
a blessing.”

Frank has been studying the Bible through Crossroads for seven
years and is currently taking his third course. His mentor says he
is a dedicated student and she is blessed by their
correspondence.

“He continually encourages me,” she says. “His letters, usually
eight to ten pages, are filled with Scriptures which encourage him,
and he wants to share those with me.”

Frank also actively seeks out others around him with whom he
can share the Gospel. “I’m constantly trying to give back by
helping others,” he says. “I’ve already helped five inmates come
to Christ.”

Just as seeds were
planted in his heart
throughout the
years, he is now
planting seeds in the
hearts of those
around him.

Matthew 13:23 “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

“No matter where we are, we can reach out and help others with
the Word of God,” Frank says. ●

By Amy Cain

Stay Connected ...

Newsletters come out once per month. Keep up to date, pray, be inspired. Connect below to receive it.

Druggie jailed 5 times before he listened

Read More ...

The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 8)

The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 7)

The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 6)

The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 5)

The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 4)

The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 3)

Stay Connected ...

Menu

International Offices

Australia

South Africa