A former gangster left church and embraced a worldly lifestyle. But when he couldn’t fulfill his promise to his son to never leave him, he made a plan to end his life.
But God proved faithful.
Former Gangster Leaves Church
David Vaughn knew God at a very young age. He didn’t grow up with his parents and was left in under the care of his grandmother. She would encourage David to go to church on a regular basis, since she was passionate about God.
But one day, David didn’t want to do anything with God.
“When I was thirteen, I decided to walk away from the church. My first sexual experience. My first time with drugs, and I started living a gangster lifestyle,” he said.
Because he didn’t know either of his parents growing up, David unconsciously harbored resentment toward them.
“When I was about 16, that just translated to a lot of aggression, plus the drugs trying to cover it up with pleasure-seeking. It faded as quickly as I gained it. And in living a gang lifestyle, it hardened my heart towards men. You can’t have feelings in that kind of lifestyle,” he said.
Former Gangster Vows To Love His Son
Not only that, David was also introduced to sex at a very young age.
“Being introduced to sex at a young age, I have a twisted and perverse sense of how love and relationships work, you know. So, fast forward: I was living there, staying on drugs, and my son was born. And I promised him this: “You’ll never feel abandoned like how I felt from my father.” But it got bad,” he said.
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His son’s mother was sentenced to life in prison, so David had full custody of his son. He raised him until he was 8 years old and tried to do his best. But when it “got so hard”, David left his son under the care of his mother’s family.
The Turning Point
Life wasn’t easy for David even after that. When he couldn’t take it anymore he decided to take his life. But before doing so, he called his son and said, “Zion, I love you. Daddy tried, and I’m sorry.”
His son’s response surprisingly gave him hope. His son said, “Dad, there’s no reason for you to apologize. I love you, and I need you to get healthy. I’m waiting for you to come and get me.”
David couldn’t contain his emotions. After he hung up the phone, he kneeled and prayed, “Lord, I acknowledge that You are the Lord of my life. You died for my sins, and You rose from the grave. If You’d stay with me, I’ll make the decision to lay the drugs down and all the bad decisions. It’s going to be really, really hard for me; just keep Your presence on me. If you do, and I will make it on the other end of that, then I will serve you blindly.”
AND GOD STAYED WITH HIM.
Former Gangster Comes Back And Serves God
When David was baptized, he shared: “So, today, I’ve been baptized before. But it didn’t mean anything to me. But today, I declare, in front of God, this congregation, my family, my friends, North Georgia Works—this is the way I have decided to live my life, unashamed and as a man fighting for God. And one of the things I want to say is that if anybody hears my story and it rings true to you, your life is not over. If you truly give your life to the Lord and follow Him with everything you have, you will come to find that your best days have not been written yet.”
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Reference | Jentezen Franklin
Header image: David Vaughn [jesuslovesyou.io]. Instagram, 19 September 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CxWZCukPHK8/