My Testimony

By:  Victor G. Blank

I will start out by saying, “All praise and glory to God,” for it is by His mercy and forgiveness that my life and story are possible.

I am in prison serving a term of 15 years to life for the murder of another human being; one of God’s own creation that I murdered because of my pride, selfishness, anger.  It was also because of lack of spirituality and faith, and God not being in my life nor part of my belief system.  In my past, I never acknowledged God or my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I was a slave to addiction, anger, pride, jealousy, envy, and animosity; and above all else, I had a love of materialistic belongings!

God came back into my life when I needed Him most and at my lowest stage of existence.  I naturally needed mending and fixing, and a lot of mercy and forgiveness.  He was never gone.  I, however, never asked Him for His guidance or direction at the time.  I thought I knew it all like so many of us do at some point in our lives.  We think we know our way and we never truly know how very far off the mark we are until we get a major life-shaking experience.  This kind of experience shakes us to our inner core.  It is way more than what we are able to cope with or handle like so many other times when we asked for God’s help or intervention, such as being in trouble over being intoxicated, ill or injured, or family issues that are very trying.

I am so lucky to have been blessed with faith-based programs here in prison.  These programs have given me an uplifting hand-up and have gotten me to see and realize my degree of need for faith and belief.  Most of all, the ability to forgive and be forgiven was hard for me to swallow.  I was told that I am and will always be forgiven as I hold steady to my faith and belief in God and know that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are watching over me.  They have my best interest at hand as I put Him first in my life!

I have been involved in “Forty Days of Purpose” and “Passport to Purpose;” and now, this program, “Life Above Reproach.”  They have reinforced in me a new and solid spiritual foundation that is growing, is strong and secure, and built on discipleship and new found friendships.  Also the mentors are well versed in the Word of God and its interpretation.  Today, the Word has become a part of my everyday life.  I had to humble myself and be open first.  I had to listen and attend the groups.  I had to put forth an effort to let God know I loved Him and wanted Him in my life, and that I wanted His will to be done through my life and future.

Today, I work each and every day to be the man and person that God wants me to be; however, I do have my ups and downs, and struggles.  It is a daily walk, one day at a time as well as one moment at a time.  I have learned some new attributes and I try to use them more and more each day.  The attributes of faith, hope, and love are spoken about, and love is said to be the most important of the three.  There are others that I keep close now, such as humility, gratefulness, empathy, kindness, and the big one—patience!  I also try to have the ability to be a decent listener, to value other’s opinions and needs, to be honest, and to live with integrity that is based on the beatitudes of the Bible.

I know for a fact that God has placed people in my life who have been miracles for me and my growth.  They have opened my eyes spiritually as well as emotionally.  They are still here today and they are my accountability partners that let me know when I need to get back on track on the straight path, and away from the crooked path.  I recently read a verse in the Bible, Hebrew 12:15, “Bitterness blinds those who feed on it.” When I read that, it described my past in a nutshell without God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in my life!

Now, I have hope and a bright future because it includes all three.  They are pillars for me when I may feel overwhelmed with life and its demands.  There is another verse in the Bible that stands out in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  This is so very true if I am humble enough to be open and receptive to allow them in to sharpen me, teach me, or to enlighten me.  The choice is mine and now influenced by God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  Today, I am on a much better path and walk in my life.

Life Above Reproach was a stepping-stone for me in my spiritual growth.  Through fellowship, discipleship, and studying of the Word of God, I am truly learning the meaning and the messages handed to us through its parables and stories.

I truly hope that if the opportunity presents itself that anyone interested may choose to enroll and partake in the Life Above Reproach program.  Those who partake will get close to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit along with other brothers and sisters in faith, hope, love, and the awesome powerful Word of God!