By Roy Andrew Lewis
About 14 years into a Life without parole sentence I'd reached a point where my facade of living care free and doing things my way was coming to a devastating crash. I'd found myself in the throws of addiction and despair ,my relationships with family and friends on the outside were deteriorating rapidly. I'd lost my identity completely, and had fallen into a deep hole of shame and fear, it seemed hopeless.
I didn't believe in God or Jesus, I always thought that was for the weak minded. One day in the midst drug induced paranoia I had and alarming moment of clarity and God showed me that I was the weak minded who needed Him. I decided to seek Him. Shortly after this I was introduced to Wayne and he put me in his bible study. I was still battling addiction and all my other demons, but this new doorway was opening for me. Wayne was hosting a marriage seminar and allowed me an opportunity to strengthen and repaid the relationship with my wife. The devil tried hard to attack me from all angles, even by having another volunteer try to convince Wayne that I wasn't worthy of the seminar and told him I was going to do bad things there. Thankfully, even though Wayne barely knew me he said that the Holy Spirit didn't tell him that so he let me attend in spite of what he'd been told, and that day of the seminar changed the trajectory of my life drastically. God began to become so apparent and real to me.
Wayne chose to treat me according to the potential he knew was there rather than by my faults. And that is still the case today. This is such a powerful thing, more powerful than any advice or instruction. This is a trait of his I wish to model in my life as well.
Over the course of the next year I was blessed to be in Day with Dad, Kairos, and Overcomers, my life was changing in a major way. I was happy, I a better influence in my family, and in my community in here.
Shortly after the Covid lockdowns, I'd hit a low place and allowed negativity to seep in, did something I'm not proud of and found myself in a compromising situation. Wayne came to see me when I was in lockup and still as consistent as ever treated me no different, loved me as a brother in a time of need and never once wavered, never made me feel shame, He just shined light on the darkness for me and helped me overcome it. And I did. Today I'm on another unit far away from there but still affected by his ministry, I strive to be a better servant to God and my fellow man because of it. I learned through demonstration and experience what the power of grace is. Who I am has changed forever.
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