save- bill manns
5th October 2009 by Julia Hosking
Hey ya, I'm Bill.
I've been hanging out with the Salvos for about three years at Chifley Mission Corps. I'm a Christian and it feels great to be one again!
My story starts when I was seven. I was always brought up with God in my life, getting told how great God is, how loving he is, and that if you needed anything just pray for it. Well I prayed to get out of a small town called Batlow and that happened, but it happened through a divorce. After the divorce I remember praying for my family to get back together and after three months of praying I stopped, and I started to hate God.
Emptiness
As I got older I started to hang out with some bad people; I started getting into fights, I was lying, cheating and stealing and that was what I was living by. When people asked me why I did it, I said because my little brother wanted it and I knew he would never get it; but really I was bitter, angry and jealous. That was my life until I turned 12.
I was feeling empty inside, I started thinking there's got to be more to life. I got so depressed; I started harming myself, and tried ending my life. I failed to do so, so I started to pray to God that I wouldn't wake up and well, God did not reply to that prayer.
So I just went on with my life and the emptiness went away and I thought that I was all good. I was doing ok at school and I heard stories about how nice I was, and how cool I was.
But the empty feeling came back again, and I hated the feeling so I started taking pills because it took me away from the emptiness. I remember being with someone I cared about and having so many pills that I started vomiting them up. She knew what I was doing to myself and what she said to me hurt me so much: "What happened to you Bill? It's like you don't care anymore about me, your family and your friends". That happened when I was 14 and I was lost and did not know who I could turn to.
God is always there
The next night my little brother came home from MAX CAMP and he did not stop talking about God. He told me they are meeting up again on Friday night to hang out, so I went. There, I found out who I could turn to, God. God had always been there for me, but I had not turned to him.
That night I was saved and I'm thankful. I'm thankful for every day I get, and all the people in my life; it's all a gift from God. From that night my emptiness went away and it's because God is in my life. There are going to be hard times in life, but God is going to be there for me.
save. grow. serve.
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Comments
Hey Bill. Thanks for sharing your story - love hearing how God has moved in your life and filled that emptiness, and how God is there for you.
Bill!
Great to read your story mate - I know that you're an invaluable member of Chifley Mission - keep up the good work in growing and strengthening in Christ.
Bless ya brother!
Hey this Bill guy sound cool and how god is working in he's life
Hey buddy! What a great read! I am so encouraged that God continues to come to broken people, and decides to make it something utterly amazing! (which is you!) Catch up with you at REVOLUTION!!!! JP
Bill, nice to hear your story. Its an inspiration to us all, God bless
Wow thats an amazing story i hope u continue to grow in your faith with God. That was very inspirational. GO BILL YOU ROCK!
Amen!
man thats such a good story. thanks for sharing it. and you write so well.
I'm so glad about what God's doing in your life and how he has and is going to use you.
It's great knowing you buddy.
Thanks for sharing Bill
It's such an inspiration seeing a young man like you overcoming circumstance and situation to be transformed into something amazing by the power of God the Holy Spirit.
Know that we're all here cheering you on and fighting alongside you! Watch this space everyone!
Bless ya brother