Testimony of Cory
Born Again..
I was not raised in a Christian household; my upbringing was riddled with domestic issues. Physical and verbal abuse tormented me through much of my childhood. During my adolescent years I experimented with lots of drugs. I needed a break from my struggles and at the time I didn't believe in God. There was nobody for me to turn too. I continued to rebel most of my life. I was kicked out of public school in 11th grade because I had gotten myself a criminal record. I briefly attended a school called South Area Abeyance in Brevard County, Florida. I was eventually kicked out of that school as well and went on to finish my high school credits on Florida Virtual Schools' online school platform.
Shortly after finishing high school, I was Diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar type 1. I had many visits to a psychiatric hospital called Circles of Care. I struggled with coping with my symptoms, and I didn't like the meds I was on. Many years passed with me not having adequate meds and I continued to run away from home, stay up all through the night, and I was hyperverbal as well as having delusions that I was God.
My erratic behavior often caused me to be jailed or placed in psychiatric wards. During a 7-month stay in county jail I began reading books on irreducible complexity. I learned that the complex systems found in living organisms are just too well designed to have been formed by chance. These systems often have parts that when removed the whole system fails. The parts would all have to have been created with each system and the sum of all its parts fully intact at once! A living organism's systems are like a watch, there must be a "Watchmaker". I began to realize the theory of evolution is just that, a theory.
With my newfound wisdom, I began to read the pocket New Testament that I got from a group of Christians who would visit the jail. When I got out of jail, I was a full-fledged believer, but I fell back into alcohol and marijuana usage. I began to doubt God again and served all my impulses and continued to struggle with my mental health.
Homelessness and jail, stay after stay ensued. It had gotten so bad that I was eating out of the trashcans to survive and wondering the streets in complete confusion, delirium, whilst displaying delusional insanity.
In hindsight I see how God humbled me. God made me to be like Nebuchadnezzar when he was reduced to being a beast of the field. He also restored me! During my final 4-month stint in Fulton County jail, I was stabilized by the Psychiatrist, but the inmate experience was so rough I no longer read my bible or even considered the reality of Jesus Christ or the ideas I had of God. Because of this I felt my life was wasted and that all is vanity. I wanted to kill myself and would contemplate how I would do it for the next 2 years. I couldn't get out of bed and had extremely hard time eating, I would vomit. My depression got so bad I was hospitalized twice for suicidal/homicidal ideation. While in the hospital I became overwhelmed with joy when I rediscovered Christ! I recommitted to Jesus. This time when I left the hospital I got with a new psychiatrist, and I am still recovering.
To this present day I have continued to abide in Christ as much as I can, repenting when I fail. He gives me purpose and he helped me survive all the horrors of homelessness and jail. I am extremely happy knowing God loves me. I am also growing patient knowing I have got an eternity ahead of me, no sense crying about times past. I am certain Jesus is Lord! I can't imagine life without Christ. My main goal now is to get others to perceive the love of God! I am a believer because I know Jesus carried the cross, I couldn't bare by myself. He led me through every situation to where I am right now. Safe with opportunity, yes, I am blessed in Christ. Jesus reigns with a love so clean, so real, strong and precious. If you don't know him please, get to know Jesus Christ!
