AMAZING STORY
Finding God in Alaska
By Robert Hull
The 700 Club
CBN.com -“I think people who move to Alaska are either running from something or to something,” Peter Bostic said. “I was running from.”
Peter Bostic moved to Alaska when he was 45 years old. But, he says the journey that brought him there started much earlier than that. His parents divorced when he was five years old and Peter says the pain he felt came out in anger.
“I was explosive all the time,” Peter said. “I didn’t want to be told what to do---ever.”
Because of his authority issues, Peter was kicked out of high school before earning his diploma.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life,” Peter said. “Other kids my age where preparing for school and job opportunities and I was preparing for fun. I wanted to have fun.”
Before he was in his 20s, Peter became a transient.
“Couch hopping, just moving from one friend to another, just burning one bridge after another,” Peter said. “Then I started hitchhiking and traveling around.”
During his time on the road, Peter was introduced to meth and became addicted.
“When you are down in the bottom of the barrel and you are hanging out with the bottom of the barrel, drugs is what brings everyone around each other,” Peter said. “It started with doing meth, but I think I wanted people to draw towards me because I could do something that most people couldn’t.”
Eventually, Peter learned to cook the drug.
“I felt like part of my soul just died. And I’ll never forget that feeling because it was lonely; it was hard,” Peter said. “But after a while I just kind of blocked that out.”
For decades, meth wrecked Peter’s life. He was homeless, did numerous stints in jail, and was estranged from his family. But, nothing deterred his addictions.
“I was involved with meth and homelessness for 25 years,” Peter said. “I would sleep out in the woods a lot. I had hammocks in various places and one was in our family’s cemetery and I would stay in the back of the cemetery a lot. I was okay with that existence because I had food and I figured, ‘Man that’s all I need.’ My aspirations, that was about as far as they were going to go.”
When he turned 40, Peter hit rock bottom.
“That’s about as bad as I could get. I was down, I had people mad at me, frustrated with me, maybe even wanting to hurt me,” Peter said. “That’s when I decided that I would put my pride away, pick up the phone and call my dad, who I had not had any contact with in a very long time.”
Peter’s dad provided Peter with housing and helped him get sober for a month. Then, he bought him a plane ticket to Alaska to start a new life. When Peter landed in his new home, he tried something he had never done before.
“I was walking out the airport and I just got this urge to just find a spot where I was really cozy – comfortable. And I just wanted to talk to God,” Peter said. “I found a lake and I got on the shore side of it and I just dropped to my knees and I said ‘God, I am 45 years old, I have no money, I have no idea what I am going to do. I believe I need help.’ That was as sincere as I could possibly be. As sincere as I’ve probably been in my whole life.”
That same day, less than three miles away, Peter found a Christian rescue mission and checked into their 30-day program. A few days later, he attended chapel.
“After the service, they asked if anybody wanted prayer and I went up there,” Peter said. “The person started praying and at that moment a very, very good calm, very calm feeling came over me, like looking out across a lake that has no ripple in it. And I felt love coming through me.”
That night, Peter surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. He started going to church and reading the Bible. He says that is when his life began to change dramatically.
“It changed everything. I was able to breathe again. I had that feeling like I had when I was a kid – abundant energy coming out of me just filled my tank, like ‘wow, everything is going to be okay.’”
Just a couple of years later, Peter met and married his wife Esther, got his commercial driver’s license and has a great job. He also helped Esther start her own business and they were able to purchase a beautiful new home. He says it is a turnaround only God could orchestrate.
“Life is 180 degree turn in a 5 ½ year turnaround,” Peter said. “That speaks volumes. Jesus Christ died for you and your sins so that you may live eternally. He knows your beginning and your end. You have to go to Him. That’s what he wants, but you’ve got to walk through that door.”
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