Faith Over Fear

By Juliano Acuna

            I am a 26-year-old from Stockton, California.  I was raised in a domestic violence household where I saw physical, verbal, and mental abuse.  Growing up I had hate towards my father because he was abusive and would leave for weeks or months at a time. 

            I got involved in a criminal lifestyle.  I would smoke weed, drink alcohol, and I joined a gang.  I loved to get in fights and rob people and houses.  I would carry weapons and harm people with the weapons I had.  At the age of 15 years old, I got incarcerated for a Strong-Armed Robbery and was sentenced to five years in the California Youth Authority (CYA).  While serving five years, I kept fighting and getting into trouble.  One day I got into a fight and broke this kid’s face.  I was given seven more years and sent straight to prison.  While in prison, I continued the same pattern. I spent 9-1/2 years incarcerated and I eventually got paroled on July 31, 2017.   

            In August 2017, I met this beautiful woman.  I moved in with her and her two beautiful kids.  I had fallen in love with this little family.  I had a lot of issues wrong with me, and my mind was still trying to be in the streets.  My heart was with my girlfriend and her kids, and I wanted a child with her.           I committed a crime in December 2017 and was incarcerated.  I was in county jail facing 75-years-to-life.  Then one day while having a visit from my girlfriend, she told me to put my faith in God and to read the bible.  It was so hard to get a visit from her and her kids without crying.  She came to visit me and brought a sonogram of our baby.  I was having a son.  My heart was so broken I had abandoned this little family who did nothing wrong to me but loved me deeply.  As I kept reading the bible and praying, the more I felt like things were getting worse with my case. 

            One day when I called my girlfriend, she was so upset, and had told me that I was a liar because I had hidden my past from her, and she wanted to leave me.  She told me I had one chance to tell her the truth about my life, and so I did.  When I was visiting with her, I told her that if I lose my case and get life in prison that I would commit suicide because I would never get a chance to be there with her and the kids.  She replied and said that I cannot give up and that God is there. The fight is not over.  If I give up, she will give up. 

            Well, one day I was in court in the morning and it was to get some of my charges dropped and the judge denied my claim.  I had gone back to the holding cell waiting my afternoon court.  As I was in the cell, I remember everyone was looking at me because I was crying.  I prayed to God and said, “God, if you are real, help me.  And if you do, I will serve you.  Please let me go home to my little family.  Don’t let me do life in prison because if I do, I will commit suicide.”  As I began walking to the courtroom, the officer said, “Hold on, your lawyer wants to see you.”  In my mind I thought that I’m done.  He had a smile on his face and simply said, “Seven years, take it or leave it.”  At that exact moment I knew God was real.  I took the seven years.  I went from 75-years-to-life to a 7-year sentence.  God heard my prayer. 

            While in prison I was baptized and have become stronger in the Word of God.  I pray with my wife and kids on the phone and on visits.  I’ve become closer to my in-laws.  We read the bible on the phone.  I told God I would serve Him, and I kept my word.  I am no longer in a gang, and I try to stay away from the negative stuff.  Although it’s hard, I still choose to follow God. 

            My relationship with my wife is healthy.  There are no more lies or secrets between us.  God is in our lives and He is moving.  Although I had put my wife and kids through so much nonsense, they still chose to forgive me and stand by me just as God does with all of us.  I know if God can change a man like me who stabbed a man twelve times in the face, He can change anybody. 

            I am so thankful for my mother-in-law.  She and my sister-in-law support me and pray with me, and they have turned their lives over to God.  I am so blessed and grateful for my wife, for my daughter, for my two sons, for loving me and giving me a second change.  But the praise and glory go to God for changing my heart and giving me such a beautiful family.  Family forever!