«‘For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'» (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT).
Christopher Yuan led a double life: he studied dentistry during the day and was a drug dealer at night. He thought he had found a way to enjoy life, far from the pressure of his Christian parents, who did not respect his lifestyle. However, three months before receiving his doctorate, the university found out he dealt drugs and he was expelled. Then, Christopher began to travel from Chicago to Atlanta, providing drugs for parties of the rich and famous. His mother, Angela, began spending hours every day in a small room, praying for her son’s salvation. She even fasted 39 days for him. She prayed asking God to do «whatever was necessary for this prodigal son to return Some time later, Christopher was arrested for possession of drugs and he was imprisoned.
One day, while he was in jail, Christopher walked beside a pile of trash and saw something that caught his eye: a Bible. Picking it up, he took it to his cell and began reading Lit. «God convinced me that I was not only rebelling against the laws of my country and against my parents, but also against Him,» he told me in an interview. Coming to this realization was very painful for him. «l thought things could not get worse, but then I got a phone call from the prison nurse. When I went to see her, she informed me I had AIDS.» Days later, Christopher was lying in his bed and noticed a message someone had written on the bed above his, «If you are bored, read Jeremiah 29:11″‘ He read the verse and, although he did not know what God’s plan was, it gave him faith to go on.
During his time in prison, Christopher felt God’s call to live a holy life and work as a minister. His sentence was shortened and as soon as he was set free, he went to college to study Theology. Today he has a doctorate in Theology, he has written several books and has spent over eleven years preaching the gospel. Christopher is convinced that we are not defined by our past, but by God’s grace and calling.
Lord, I thank You for Your power to transform and redeem our lives. When the enemy whispers that all is lost, Your love says «There is still hope!» even louder. There is nothing You cannot do.
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
