He threw all the drugs in his pocket into the sewer

René’s Story

We were boys that smoked marijuana and we’d done some hard drugs as well. I started to realize I am a human that is living but is dead on the inside. When I was 18 years old, the world had nothing more to offer.

I’d tried everything that the world has to offer. Despite everything I’d tried I was aware of being dead inside.

I didn’t have real joy, love and peace in my heart. I started to look for something, but I didn’t know what. It wasn’t faith and God, but I was looking for something in my life, for the real meaning of life.

Once I was walking through the city and one guy stopped me. His name was Marlon. He spoke English and had a translator with him as well. He started to preach about Jesus Christ. I didn’t know what to say but the first thing that came to my mind was to invite him to a party. It was on Monday and he came to this party on Friday. I realize when I read the Bible now, it’s written there that you are the light of this world. So I’ve realized that he was the light. He was pointing at something that even I wanted to have in my life.

On the basis of this he invited me to church. I still remember it as if it was yesterday, when someone at church asked if there was someone who wanted to know Jesus Christ and didn’t know where he would go if he died today, that this person could step forward. Something really powerful touched me. Even though I smoked weed right before the church and I had some other drugs in my pocket as well, I went to this church and God touched me. I stepped forward, I felt very ashamed, there were many people. But what I lacked in my life was humbleness. I have never humbled myself for anyone. Not even for my parents.

When I’d fought, I was willing to kill a person. I was at that stage of life. It really touched my heart that Jesus loves me and that he died on the cross for all of my sins. I told myself, “if there is Jesus and if he really loves me and if he really wants to forgive all of my sins, then I’ll go”. I bowed my head and stepped very slowly forward. 

That day when I left church, I threw all the drugs that I had down the drain. 

The marijuana that I grew in my home and was looking forward to harvesting and smoking, I flushed down the toilet. It has been 17 years now and I am free of all these things and I know that the true meaning of life is when a person knows his creator Jesus Christ. Then and only then can he find the true meaning of life.