(The Larry Davis Story)
I once knew a kid by the name of Booni. Booni was known as the neighborhood dope
man. He was introduced to crack cocaine
at the age of fifteen. Not understanding
the repercussions behind that life style, he got involved in it, believing to
become rich someday. Booni was not
raised around narcotics. In fact,
growing up in a single parent home, his mother did not smoke cigarettes,
marijuana, drink alcohol, or use any kind of drugs. She did all in her power to provide for her two
sons; however, Booni was not content. He
did not appreciate his mother's sacrificial love; therefore, he started seeking
the so-called "Finer things in life."
It all started back in 1990, which was his second year of
high school, with no new school clothes, no lunch money, and despising his
friends and other people around him because of their materialistic items. He started searching for a way out of poverty
- a way to fit in with the crowd - a way to be noticed amongst his peers.
One day during his second year of high school, one of his
neighborhood friends approached him with what he thought to be the opportunity
of a lifetime. He said, "Booni, I
have a hundred dollars worth of crack cocaine; take it and bring me back
$60.00." Booni was so desperate - not even sure if he could sell it, and only
knowing a few people that used it - extended his hand and said, "Ok."
Because of his lack of experience, he made a couple of bad
decisions with that sack of drugs. But
persistence caused him to sell fake drugs, hoping to hustle up enough money to
buy some real drugs.
A few months later, Booni and another one of his
neighborhood friends was walking down a street when a guy in a jeep pulled up
and said, "Boon, do you want some work?" Without thinking twice, Booni said,
"Yeah."
That very same day when he went home, his mother walked into
his bedroom and asked him if he was selling drugs. He blurted out a painful,
"NO!" Devastated by that sudden
come on, he wondered: "How could she know?" The words, "are you selling drugs"
felt like snakebite. The antidote to his
suffering was his hardened heart. They
talked for a short time, but the conversation was useless. He saw the weakness in his mother's
eyes. She did not have confidence in her
reproach. She knew in her heart she
could not compare with the opportunities of the street life. It was not long after the confrontation with
his mother that Booni found himself on a wild roller coaster ride.
The streets had a hold on him - molding him into a
heartless, vicious, self-centered, greedy juvenile. He dropped out of high school, started
drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, and his life was almost taken away from
him because he tried to beat some guys out of their money. Fortunately, he was only shot in the leg as
he dove out of a backdoor window. That
night he stared death in the face. A
sixteen-year-old boy that could have been killed or paralyzed was lying in a
hospital bed thinking of more ways to do evil.
That incident should have been his wake-up call. However, he missed God.
After that, he started buying and carrying guns. He was thinking violence was the answer to
his problems. As he took on that
attitude, REALITY was nowhere to be found.
Within months, his life had become completely unmanageable. He thought money was everything. He was abusing his relationships, putting
peoples' lives into danger, and causing loved ones to dispute against one
another.
By the spring of 1995, his life was extremely
miserable. He was depressed, frustrated,
and confused. Reflecting back on all the
times he went to jail - all the court dates - all the people he hurt and disappointed
- where his life was headed ... it caused him to evaluate his present
predicament.
He thought, "If only I can start over again. If only I had another chance." Something inside of him broke down. In a
matter of seconds, he was calling out to Father God. "God, give me another start." Within weeks Booni was incarcerated, fighting
one of the worst cases a person could have.
However, God heard his prayer and intervened in his life.
The reason I know so much about Booni is because he is
someone I know very well because I am he.
When I was in the county jail back in the summer of 1995-1996, God was
dealing with me. God was pruning my
heart, removing my corrupted desires, giving me new understanding, and teaching
me how to LOVE, CARE, be HONEST, and OBEY.
Through the washing of God's Word, (the Bible) He was renewing my mind.
However, I only wanted to submit in the areas that were convenient for me.
May 1996 I was found guilty.
Shocked by the verdict, I accused God of lying to me and letting me
down. I did not comprehend the fact that
God's will would be done. My faith was
built on circumstances, not on God's foundation, Jesus Christ, and on His
Word. My zeal for God started to
decrease. Before long, I was back operating out of the flesh. A year and a half later, I left M.T.U. and
arrived at I.T.F.
January 15, 1998 - less than a week after my arrival - God
called out to me and told me to attend the Saturday Night Full Gospel
service. Through the empowerment of the
Holy Spirit, I was being taught. In
weeks, I, the prodigal Booni was back at home in right standing with my Father
God.
That was only the beginning stages of our intimate
relationship. Within the next twelve
months, I decided to make Jesus the Lord of my life (surrendering completely to
God). I knew from painful experience the
consequences of holding onto old fleshly desires, controlling spirits, and
cravings contrary to the Word of God. It
was time to stop being religious, playing church, and humble himself in all
areas of my life to God with sincerity and a pure heart.
My greatest challenge came at the end of that same
year. I called home one day only to find
out my mother was on her deathbed.
Immediately, I went and found scriptures about healing, went into my
prayer closet, and pled the blood of Jesus over her life.
December 27, 1998 at 2:00 PM, she passed away and went to
Heaven. Instead of allowing these
circumstances to overwhelm me, I went to my Heavenly Father and requested
strength; strength that would help me bear my mother's passing and stay strong
to carry out God's plan.
That faith walk was the creation of a Christ Soldier in
me. I found out then I could do all
things through Christ that strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). That I was more than a conqueror (give
scripture). That the battle is not mine
but God's (2 Chronicles 20:15). I became
like a child in my Father's lap, trusting and unpretentious. Teachable, humble, and changeable, by the
grace that God provided. God honored my
faith, and started molding me and manifesting His powers in my life. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon me. The Spirit of Wisdom and of Understanding,
the Spirit of Counsel and of Power, the Spirit of Knowledge and of fear of the
Lord.
God revealed a passage to me as I sought the Kingdom of
Heaven. I Corinthians 1:26-28 (NIV)
reads, "Brothers, think about what you were before you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards;
not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world
to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the
strong. He chose the lowly things of the
world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the
things that are."
I was a nobody five years ago. However, today I am a somebody. God told me I am an Ambassador for Christ, a
Priest, a King, the Salt of the earth, and the Light of the world. This is a concise testimony to give God the
glory due Him. Also to share with you brothers and sisters out there, that what
is impossible for man is possible for God (Matthew 19:26). When we submit to
God's authority, old things pass away and behold all things become NEW (II
Corinthians 5:17). Never forget, we are
on "God's Timing," and His plan will be done.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:
If you are questioning in your heart what this Christian life is all about and
would like to know more about being reconciled to God, please click here to
learn how you can do that. Thank you and
God bless you!
Also, please be sensitive to God in keeping brother Larry
(Booni) lifted up in prayer. God's
missionary soldiers behind prison walls need all the prayer and encouragement
they can get. Our prisons are full of
people just like "Booni"...people who made some wrong choices when
temptation knocked, because of hopelessness, anger, despair, and/or a need to
feel like they are a "somebody."
And...Our communities are full of YOUNGER up-and-coming
"Boonies"...youth who are so full of hopelessness, anger and despair
that life is worth little more than a squashed bug on the freeway. Would you please pray and ask God to use YOU
to reach out to one...just ONE, "Booni"...before it's too late? Reach out to a young person who does not have
a stable and secure environment to grow
up in, and needs some love of Christ shown to him or her to help them keep free
from the numerous snares of evil that lurks all around them?
Thank you for asking God to use you, as He might desire to
do so. Moreover, thank you if you are
already reaching out to a hurting child or young man or woman whose inevitable
path will be greater pain without your sowing love into that young person's
life. There is no limit to how much one
youth can affect the world when he or she grows to adulthood, with proper
nurturing. But odds diminish greatly if
that child growing up to be a world impactor...once he has been sucked into the
life of drugs and crime. Though Christ
makes them a new spiritual creation once they turn their lives over to Him...so
many precious years and life becomes wasted behind prison walls.
Though God certainly can, and DOES, use His solders behind
prison walls...ministering where people outside cannot as easily...there still
is great sorrow to Christ's soldiers behind prison walls. Marriages most often disintegrate. Walls between parents and children can grow
so thick and high...No relaxing day at the beach...No popcorn and pop at the
movies...No nice dinner out. The joys
that those outside of prison walls often take for granted...are dreams
prisoners would like to have that may never come true. Heaven truly is a long way away...this side
of it.
Love a troubled youth today...before he or she winds up in
prison or worse yet - is dead at a young age.
When you do it to 'one of the least of His little ones...you do it unto
Him.' In addition, you will NEVER lose
your reward.
Email:
ptoffice@precious-testimonies.com
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