Personal Narrative: The Waukegan Police Departement

Its december 23rd, 2014 and i'm in an interview room. The Waukegan Police Departement, been in this interview room for 26 hours straight with no breaks. My parents have no idea where i'm at. Finally my mother gets called. My mother and brother come pick me up from the station. My mother was obviously upset but i already knew that. At this point, i was a like a deer in headlights, i was screwed.
The next morning, December 24th, 2014, christmas eve, i wake up with a swallowed-up feeling. I go brush my teeth and look in the mirror. I knew i had to change for the better. I began actually trying in school, I began getting into less and less trouble, and I began going to church again. I would go with my grandpa and grandma, they were the biggest
christians i knew. In other words, I looked up to them, they were a goal in my christian faith. The church was Immanuel Baptist Church, a huge, modern looking, grey building with a cross displayed. It’s a nice church, with many good people
Continuing, i been going to church now for a few weeks.
I understand the services and they’re good. I just feel like i hear it but it goes through on ear and out the other. As if I was deaf. I had that feeling of guilt; I was still hanging around the same crowd of people. I occasionally started getting into more trouble hanging around the wrong crowd. I was drifting towards my old ways.
At this point, it’s now the end of freshman year at Warren Township Highschool. I have straight F’s and i no longer am going to church. I’d always be gone all saturday nights; therefore, couldn’t wake up in time for church service. That was the excuse i used for not going. Deep down i knew why i didn’t want to go; I was still getting in trouble and doing unchristian things. This brought that guilt feeling of being in church and so i wouldn’t go.
All things considered, two months later, it’s summer now and i’m living at my dad’s house. My dad’s house was a medium sized, brown and white, oldish-styled town home. I never really had a great relationship with my dad, so it was sort’ve a punishment. I couldn’t be at my mom’s house at the time because i’d get into trouble and wouldn’t obey the rules. Living at my dad’s brought me closer to my grandpa and grandma. They were practically my neighbors at this point, which was a good thing. They’d stop by once in a while and see how im holding up. In a way, they’d keep me on the right path; Gods path. Although, i still wasn’t going to church, still felt the
guilt.
From here on, i lived in the basement and slept on the couch. I felt alone and worhtless; I had my family but it still felt like i didn’t. I had fallen into a trapdoor of depression. This is something i’ve never experienced before, so it was a hard tine for me. Overtimes, the depression gradually got better yet i still felt that feeling of worhtlessness. Almost like i didn’t have a purpose and I had already let my family down with all my actions throughout my life.
After four months of being at my dad’s, i started realizing what truly mattered. What truly mattered was making my family proud and growing in my faith. I would do this by not hanging around the same crowd and by going to church. My family has been going to church as long as i can remember. I’d always go on sundays, but only because it was a family tradition. As a kid, i never truly understood church or God. I was just a baby deer following around its mother. Although i wasn’t following my mother, i was following my families religious faith. Now that i was older i can actually understand Jesus and read the Bible. I began to think and figured the only way I can make things better is to make my family proud. I figured the only way i can make them proud was to begin going back to church and growing stronger in my faith.
Meanwhile, it was Sunday morning and i’m sitting in church service. I’m next to my grandpa, grandma, and my brother. The pastor was preeching about how we were all broken at some point in our lives. He said, “God takes our broken lives and makes a miracle out of us”. This time the pastor’s words didn’t go through one ear and out the other. They went through one ear and implanted right into my brain. It was a sense of understanding; a feeling of hope. After hearing that, i wanted God to make a miracle out of my life. I knew i was broken and wanted change. At the end of service, the pastor asked us to bow our heads and pray. I still remember my prayer even today. I asked God to take my hand and lead me down the path he has for me. I was a sinner and was ready to change my sinning ways.
Later that week, it felt like God answered my prayer. God was really leading me down the path i asked him to lead me on. I no longer went out with friends because every single time i would get into trouble. I remember at one point i just sat in the house for months on end because i was afraid of getting into trouble. I didn’t think God would give me another chance like he was constantly doing. This was my sign from God. I finally took his sign and fully accepted him into my life and this time i really meant it. I didn’t want to change, i needed to change.
Above all, God is what mattered and i finally understood. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, God will still accept you and make a miracle of you. He’s done it with my dad, uncle, and brother. God even made a miracle out of my grandma and grandpa, the two strongest christians i know. Even god had to lead my grandma and grandpa down the path they walk today. This proves how we’ve all been broken and in hard times in life, but we’ll all amount to something great with God on our side. I guess what im trying to say is that no matter if you’re the pastor, we’ve all had a bad/troubling past.
As a result of accepting God into my life, i began doing great in school. I started trying to succeed, started not missing one church service, and started hanging around family instead of friends. Accepting Jesus also made me feel like i have a purpose. Jesus has a plan for me and wants me to succeed, so thats what im going to do. I want to be a lawyer like my grandpa and help others like he does. He always does something good for somebody, even on days where he feels down himself. It always feels good doing something for somebody else, or even make their day. Sometimes even cracking a joke will brighten up their day.
It’s now February 24th, 2017 and i still haven’t reached my goal in my christianity. I go to church every sunday and am now getting straight A’s. Even as i sit her writing about the amazing path God has lead me down, i know he’s not done with me. He will continue to bless me and lead me down this path until im next to him in heaven. Sitting there in the indescribable nature of heaven, petting my cat who passed away, and having a family reunion with all our family members who’ve passed. I know its a sad thought, death, but we all die eventually. The worst part is that we only get one lifetime to make it to heaven or not. That is why regardless of what you go through, you just got to make the best of it.
In conclusion, it’s not December 23rd, 2014, and i’m no longer in an interview room. I am a changed man and all i can do is thank god and my family. I can write a whole other paper on why im thankful for jesus and my family. I can truly say, after two years, God has taken my broken life and made a miracle of me. I may not be rich or constantly happy but im running down that path god led me down and i wont stop. All i need is my family and God on my side.