Scott England

TESTIMONY

 

Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, I tended to have the attributes of most rebellious teenagers.  Lying, cheating, stealing, and foul language were the norm.  The consequences of who I hurt or brought down with me along the way were not on the forefront of my mind.  Some of my peers would continually tell me about Jesus, and how only He could satisfy the void I was so desperately searching to fill. I would always respond by telling them how I’d consider finding out about God when became older and more settled in life.  Unfortunately, I failed to realize, I was not the one in control of my next breath, and was not guaranteed tomorrow.  I continued living life as I pleased.

One night I was out late with a friend.  It was around 12:00 a.m. and I knew it was definitely time to be home.  The person taking me home was crashed out on the couch.   When we woke her up, we quickly realized that something wasn’t right.  She informed us that she had taken some sleeping pills and followed it down with alcohol.  There was no phone and no other way home.  She assured us that she was okay to drive.  Young and naive, I went along.  As we approached an intersection, I spotted a car coming up ahead.  I knew we were about to turn and thought for sure she would wait until the car passed.  I remember my friend yelling, “Stop!”  Tires were squealing, glass breaking, and metal was crushing.  I could hear the wind blowing and faint sigh of those around me.  The police arrived to pry my door open.  I faded in and out as I was in pursuit to the hospital.  All I knew was that I was in some major pain and was wondering if I would live to see the next day.  I was relieved to hear the sound of my faithful parent’s voices as I entered in the emergency room.  I over heard the doctors talking of the severity of my injuries.  I had a major concussion, a broken pelvis, and my urethra had been separated from my bladder.  Not a good sign for a thirteen year-old kid!

When I finally gained stable consciousness, I laid in bed and began to think.  In my mind, I began to finally grasp the importance of life.  In my heart, I realized the importance of knowing the giver of life.  For the first time in my life, I could sense the presence of God all around me.  Overwhelmed with His love, I cried out to Him in the best way I knew how.  My searching was finally over as I asked Him to come into my life.  One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Corinthians 5:17.  It says, “therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has gone and the new has come.”  I truly believe that God transformed my way of thinking that night.

Although I had a new foundation to stand on, the battle wasn’t over.  The doctors said I would probably never be able to have children and would be lucky to even be able to use the bathroom properly again.  I spent two long weeks in the hospital and in recovery.  It seemed like forever waiting for the doctors to decide a surgery date.  During my wait, I began to have some complications.  The doctors pushed my surgery up and rushed me in to one final x-ray.  When they went to read the films, they were baffled at the results.  My urethra had miraculously mended itself back together!  They said it was a miracle and had never seen anything like it.  I knew I had been healed and the creator of the universe had a plan for my life.  They performed minor surgery to remove scar tissue, and I was back to normal in about six months.  Well, some would argue that I was never “normal” in the first place!

I entered high school with a new passion for life, and a new love for God.  I had determined that I was no longer going to be a negative influence and was going to live my life for Christ.  Although I lost many of my, so called, “friends,” I quickly gained respect from my classmates.  I gained more real friends than I ever had before!  I quickly realized that you didn’t have to live for other people.  God rocked my life!  I pray that you will allow Him to rock yours!

Making music, changing lives,

Scott