In 1960 I was sentenced to serve a term in the California prison system for a variety of crimes against society. It took me seventeen years to conclude that sentence. During those seventeen years in prison I learned every sin and was exposed to virtually every ungodly act known to man. While at San Quentin prison I was introduced to many kinds of drugs.

In 1977 the State of California deemed me fit for society but restricted me to a lifetime parole. That lasted just long enough for me to get a weapon, drugs and out of the state which was in violation of my parole.

I began another crime spree that started in Anchorage, Alaska and ended in Flagstaff, Arizona. I have been back in prison for eight years now and for seven and a half of those years I lived the only way I knew—a bad guy among the bad guys.

For twenty-five years I have been separated from my family because of my sins against man and God. Words cannot express the love lost and the lives shattered in my sinful path.

But every story has an ending—good or bad. My ending was destined to be death in prison with a promise of hell forever. It was nothing in reality, though, for one who had to often fight with knives or any other weapon at hand. It was just accepted from a guy who expected to stay in prison until he died.

My story, however, has a much greater ending because I have found the salvation of God and eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. I saw no bright lights, no bells rang, the heavens did not open, but I found Jesus Christ. How? I read the Word of God and I believed. I realized that I was a sinner in need of salvation and forgiveness. I prayed and confessed my every sin to Jesus Christ and the Word of God told me that I am forgiven. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

Now, as I continue to grow in Christ, I see how God's grace has prevailed over my evil past. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20).

I give my testimony for the glory of God and in the hope that others like me may know that there is salvation and love, peace and everlasting life to those who will surrender their lives to God and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are" (1 Cor. 1:26-28).

—Patrick J. Brady