I’m still taken back at how often I find myself in “wow” moments with God. Today is not the first time I’ve discovered Him doing something pretty cool behind the scenes and then catching me up through a powerful revelation, but today was a pretty big one!
A couple of months ago, I was invited to share my heart and play some music with the guys that are currently in the Renewed Life Ministry Outreach. RLMO is an awesome ministry that helps addicts recover from addiction and re-focus their lives on Christ through a 1 year life transformation. I’ve been very excited for RLMO and was very happy to get the chance to go spend the evening with them tonight!
Well, this afternoon I was preparing for what I might share and then it dawned on me… “hey, I think it’s been about 20 years since I gave my life to God, and about 20 years since I last did any kind of drugs.” That was an eye-opening moment and I got real excited about sharing my testimony and getting to talk with the guys about my victory. Then I started to think harder about it, and dug a little deeper into the dates and discovered… “Oh wait, not only has it been 20 years, but it was in October.” Then again, “I think it might have been this week too??” Then finally, I opened up the calendar on my iPhone and looked at the dates in October 1996 and saw that it was Friday, October 18 when started to die to my old life and I began a new life in Christ. The next thought was “now way, what is today’s date?” Then it happened. I looked and saw that today was October 18, 2016. Exactly 20 years from that day back in high school.
I didn’t fully surrender everything until the following Sunday, but the 18th was when I was when I knew I was done, and I was just so amazed that I was invited to speak to a group of guys who were currently going through what I was going through 20 years ago. It was an incredible night for me to honor the Lord and celebrate the freedom He gave me.
Most people who know me today would have no idea of what I was like in High School, but I was changed radically and I’m so thankful for what God has done in my life. I don’t deserve much of what I have, but God has been good to me time and time again! Tonight is a special night, and I’m really excited to spend the next few days remembering those dark days of being delivered and stepping into victory. This is awesome man! WOW!!!
Shawn Starbuck 