I recently shared a story on facebook on the 35 year anniversary of my father's death and was surprised at the positive response I received. Just wanted to share that story here for your encouragement.

From Survival to Thrival: A 35-Year Journey of God's Faithfulness

By David A. Harris, Sr.
Spiritual Growth Foundation

Thirty-five years ago today, my life changed forever.

It was supposed to be a normal day. My dad came in and asked if I wanted to ride with him and my older brother to run errands around Waco. I said no thank you as I was deep into a book and didn’t want to leave the house. Just a couple hours later, everything changed.

Neighbors knocked on our door and told us there had been a serious accident at the intersection of Waco Drive and Valley Mills. The car involved looked like our white family station wagon. So I ran barefoot down the street—we lived nearby on Austin Avenue—and when I reached the scene, I saw the ambulance and my brother speaking with paramedics.

I sprinted home to tell Mom. I grabbed a pair of shoes, we jumped in the car, picked up my brother, and drove to the hospital. In what felt like both a blur and slow motion, we were placed in a special waiting room. A doctor came in with the words that would mark our lives forever:
“We did everything we could, but I'm sorry, he didn’t make it.”

I still remember jogging around the walking trail at Providence Hospital, crying out to God. I remember returning to find our youth pastors and Mark Wible from Highland Baptist Church already there. We gathered in a circle. Mark prayed. And strangely, I remember being embarrassed by the shoes I had grabbed in the chaos. Funny what we hold on to in moments of trauma.

Religion Couldn't Hold Me—But Jesus Did

The support in those early days was incredible, and I remain grateful. But as time passed, I began to see the difference between religion and the love of God.

Religion told me to follow rules, look okay, and pretend I was fine. But everything was not okay.

From ages 16 to 23, my life was chaos. I dropped out of high school. I used drugs. Nightmares haunted me nightly. I even attempted to take my own life at 16. I still bear the scars.

And yet—God never left me.
Even when people did.
Even when I couldn’t follow the rules.
Even when I didn’t want to live.

Hearing God, Finding Community

At age 23, I discovered that breakthrough comes when we learn to listen—and then obey. In that season, God led me to Daryl and Margie Atwood—an older couple in our church who invited me into their home and faithfully met with me every week for two years. As they shared wisdom, prayed Scripture over my life, and even took me fishing in Quitman, they modeled what it looks like to respond to God’s leading in real time. In many ways, they were the hands and feet of Jesus to me—and their obedience to His voice became the bridge that saved my life.

That same year, I heard God speak clearly into my circumstances: He said, "I created you to be a faithful man.” I obeyed. Before then, I’d never held a job longer than a year. By choosing to stay—even at minimum wage—for five years, I stepped into a pattern of faithfulness that transformed me from the inside out. Each day I followed the simple nudges—to show up, do good work, and trust His provision—and God honored my small acts of obedience with lasting change.

From That Place to This One

Because I learned to hear and respond to God’s guidance, my life took on a new trajectory. He guided me into marriage—and for the past 22 years I’ve been a husband walking in His voice. He gave me four sons, and He opened doors in real estate—where, even without a formal degree, I’ve served clients for over two decades with integrity and insight that only come from divine direction.

And today, as I visit my dad’s grave and shed fresh tears, I can say without hesitation:
God has made a way—because I chose to listen.

Life hasn’t been easy—but through the voice of Jesus, every step has been worth it.

Why I Share This

The Bible reminds us that under the new covenant, God doesn’t hold our sins against us (2 Cor 5:19). But it also says we overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony” (Rev 12:11). A testimony isn’t just a story—it’s a witness to what happens when we hear and obey.

This is my testimony.
And maybe today, someone needs to hear:

• That when life breaks you, Jesus can rebuild you.

• That imperfect community can become the very instrument of your breakthrough.

• That your story isn’t over—even when you feel you’ve lost everything—because God still speaks.

I found that community in my local church. More importantly, I discovered Jesus Himself—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Apart from His voice, there is no good thing.

I believe all history—past, present, and future—will be measured against the life of Jesus. Only by His blood, and by making Him Lord of our lives, do we find the purpose we were made for.

Keep Going
If you ever want to talk or wrestle through God’s leading, I’m here. You’re not alone.
There is hope. There is healing. There is life after loss.
There is a faithful God who never stops speaking—and never stops pursuing us.

David A. Harris, Sr.
Spiritual Growth Foundation