Peter is a character in the Bible I can identify with easily. Spokane Dream Center, the church I attend, hosts an annual drama production of the life of Jesus and I portray Peter. Not only in the drama, but for most of my life, I’ve resembled Peter. If you asked me, I would tell you I was a believer. However, I didn''t really know what it meant to be a Christian. My castle was built on sand only to watch it crumble and fade after an unwanted divorce and my mother passing away, too. Even though I still believed in God, my heart was far from Him. Just like Peter, I denied Him. When life''s unforeseen circumstances, hurts, and pains were too much to handle, I turned to alcohol and drugs. In this addiction, I remained a prisoner for seven years. I was a junkie in every sense of the word. So many people were hurt. I lost my family, my children, my home, and everything I''d ever known. My sanity was quickly fading from the drugs. Any hope I had for the future was long gone. Honestly, I was ready to give up and felt on the brink of death. In my desperation, I cried out to God and asked Him to save me. God, please show me a new way of life, free from bondage. I was willing to do anything. So I turned for help through our church’s discipleship program. It''s a one-year intensive discipleship program where you lay everything aside and learn what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. Eight months into the program, I got kicked out because of my bad choices and behavior. It was the lowest point in my life. I felt like a complete failure. I even failed in surrendering to God! Again like Peter, I felt like I let God down. The day I left the program I remember walking towards Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington with nowhere to go. I felt hopeless, ashamed, and angry. In that moment, I even hated myself. As I started to walk across the suspension bridge in the middle of the park, I found myself unwilling to go any further. Standing there, looking out at the water, I felt the urge to jump and put an end to my life. For a moment, I sat there thinking about everything that had brought me here. Tears were rolling down my face. I wanted to physically fight myself. In anger, I screamed as loud as I could and dropped to my knees. I kept crying and begging God for mercy and to show me the way. There was a deafening sound below me. It was the rushing waters of Spokane Falls that started to drown out my thoughts. But suddenly it turned into the sound of many voices cheering. Hebrews 12:1 came to mind. I realized I was surrounded by the great cloud of witnesses mentioned there. They were cheering me on. God was telling me, “Don''t give up! Keep going.” That moment on the bridge transformed my life. It separated my past from my new life in Christ. It’s been seven years since I stepped into the discipleship program. God has restored my relationship with my children beyond what I could have ever imagined. I have been forgiven by family members. God even restored my driver''s license despite all the legal hurdles standing in the way. Miraculously, He opened the door without even going to court. God gave me a position of influence and promoted me to department supervisor at Huntwood Industries. And I just bought my first house. My heart is full and overflowing with joy with all the Lord has done for me. But what I cherish most is my relationship with God. Just like Peter, when Jesus reaffirmed His love for him that day on the beach, Jesus has done the same for me. My faith has been restored. Now I am a light shining brightly for Jesus, a witness to everyone I meet. With my life fully surrendered to God, I can live for His glory, a life of obedience and worship. Thank you, Jesus. Maybe your life bears a resemblance to Peter too. It’s not too late to run to the Lord. His arms are open wide to receive you. If you’d like to know more about the life of Jesus, come to our Behold Jesus drama on Saturday, April 13 at 1 pm or 6:30 pm at the First Interstate Center for the Arts at 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA. For more information, go to www.spokanedreamcenter.org.