THERE WAS ALWAYS A TUG IN

MY HEART TOWARDS MUSIC.

HE COULD CARRY A TUNE AS

A LITTLE TODDLER.

I WAS INSPIRED BY THE

MUSIC THAT I SAW.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE

FEELING FOR ME WHEN I WOULD

SEE HIM AT THE ALTER,

SOMETIMES BROKEN AND

WEEPING, WITH HIS HANDS

LIFTED.

I BECAME CYNICAL ABOUT

CHURCH PROBABLY AROUND 12

YEARS OLD.

I THINK THERE WAS A POINT

WHEN I JUST SAW TU TOO MUCH

OF THE CHURCH POLITICS, AND

GOSPELS.

GOSSIP.

GOSSIP.

THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED A

BAND, AND WE STARTED A

CHRISTIAN BAND, BUT

MUSICALLY WE STARTED TO KIND

OF VEER OFF INTO WEIRDLAND.

THIS IS ONE OF THE CLUBS

I USED TO PLAY AT AS A KID.

16, 17 YEARS OLD, SNEAKING

IN.

A LOT OF MY ANGER AT GOD,

ANGER AT THE CHURCH, ANGER

AT MYSELF WAS COMING THROUGH

THE MUSIC.

I WOULD GO TO THESE CLUBS

AND START HANGING OUT WITH

OLDER PEOPLE, SOME OF THE

WRONG CROWD, AND DRINKING

WAS INVOLVED.

SO MY PARENTS DID THE RIGHT

THING.

THEY WERE GROUNDING ME AND

SAYING, HEY, THAT'S GOT TO

GO.

I LEFT HOME WHEN I WAS 17,

CHRISTMAS.

WE WERE AT CHURCH.

I REMEMBER WE WERE AT

CHURCH.

AND I DIDN'T SUSPECT A

THING.

WELL, IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE,

AND I WAS PART OF A CHURCH

PLAY.

BUT NOBODY KNEW I HAD

SECRETLY ARRANGED FOR SOME

FRIENDS TO BE WAITING IN A

CAR SO THAT I COULD WALK

OUT, OFF THE STAGE, AND

LEAVE.

RIGHT BEHIND ME, THAT'S

THE CHURCH WHERE WE WERE

HOLDING THE CHRISTMAS

PAGEANT AT.

I TOLD THEM, TAKE ME

ANYWHERE BUT HOME.

I STARTED LOOKING FOR HIM

AFTER CHURCH, AND I COULDN'T

FIND HIM.

NONE OF HIS FRIENDS WOULD

TELL ME ANY INFORMATION

ABOUT WHERE HE WAS.

I GOT IN THAT CAR AND

JUST TOOK OFF AND DIDN'T

LOOK BACK.

WHEN WE GOT HOME WITHOUT

HIM, I WALKED DIRECTLY TO

HIS ROOM.

AND MY WIFE WALKED IN WITH

ME.

AND WE WERE STANDING THERE

TOGETHER, I REMEMBER, AND

JUST -- WE WERE KIND OF

NUMB.

WHAT I EXPERIENCED THE

MOST WAS JUST ABSOLUTE

LONELINESS.

I REMEMBER NOT BEING ABLE TO

EAT A LOT.

I WAS MISSING SCHOOL.

I WAS SICK, HUNGRY, COLD,

SLEEPING IN SOMEONE'S CAR.

IT WAS PRETTY BAD.

EVENTUALLY THE BAND STARTED

PICKING UP MORE SHOWS.

AND THE LAST PERSON I

EXPECTED TO SEE IN THE BACK

OF THE HALL WAS MY DAD.

I CAME TO THIS CLUB AND

WALKED IN, WENT IMMEDIATELY

TO THE BACK WALL.

AND I CAME TO SEE MY SON.

I WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT

WHAT HE WAS DOING.

AND I DON'T THINK HE KNEW I

WAS THERE.

I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO KNOW I

WAS HERE.

I WANTED TO SEE HIM.

I THINK HE WAS JUST THERE

TO SHOW ME HE STILL LOVED ME

AND HE WAS PRAYING FOR ME.

ABOUT FIVE OR SIX MONTHS

LATER, AFTER RUNNING AWAY,

SOMEBODY GOT AHOLD OF ME AND

SAID, HEY, YOUR DAD IS GOING

ON A TRIP TO AUSTIN, TEXAS,

AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU

WOULD LIKE TO GO ALONG.

I CALLED MY DAD, AND HE WAS,

LIKE, HEY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO

GO TO THE WORSHIP

CONFERENCE.

I THOUGHT W WE COULD GO SEE

A MOVIE AND GET SOMETHING TO

EAT.

I FELT LIKE MAYBE I WAS

PUTTING TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON

MY OWN KIDS.

I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS

SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY HE

WAS WAWFERG T OFFERING TO

BE FRIENDLY.

I SAID, YEAH, I'LL GO WITH

YOU.

IT WAS A MATTER OF

WAITING AND TRUSTING GOD.

AND AFTER THE CONFERENCE,

WE WERE DRIVING HOME, AND MY

DAD WAS, LIKE, WHERE DO YOU

WANT TO BE DROPPED OFF.

HONESTLY, I DIDN'T HAVE

REALLY A PLACE TO STAY.

RIGHT BEHIND ME IS THE SPOT

WHERE AFTER THAT TRIP TO

AUSTIN, MY DAD DROPPED ME

OFF, AND I SAID GOOD-BYE.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WOULD

SEE HIM AGAIN.

AND HE TOOK OFF DOWN THE

ROAD.

AND MY WIFE AND I SAT THERE

AND WE CRIED.

IT WAS A SAD TIME.

BUT WE PRAYED, ALSO.

I WANDERED AROUND FOR

ABOUT A COUPLE OF HOURS.

AND JUST WAS WONDERING WHAT

MY NEXT STEP WAS.

I KNEW IN MY GUT I WANTED TO

POUR MY HEART OUT AND SAY I

WAS SORRY.

I CALLED MY DAD AND SAID,

WHAT CAN I SAY?

IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN COME

HOME?

WILL YOU GUYS FORGIVE ME?

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE

FEELING, THAT HE WAS CALLING

AND REALLY REACHING OUT.

AND SO WE WENT.

HE CAME WITH MY BROTHER

AND MY TWO SISTERS AND MY

MOM.

AND THEY SHOWED UP AND THEY

PICK ME UP AND HUGGED ME.

AND I JUST REMEMBER WEEPING

AND BEING OVERWHELMED WITH,

YOU KNOW, GUILT AND SHAME

AND FORGIVENESS AND LOVE,

AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS JUST

KIND OF WASHING OVER ME, AND

BEING RECEIVED BACK INTO MY

FAMILY.

AND NOT LONG AFTER THAT,

HE WENT WITH ME TO A BIBLE

STUDY.

THE LEADER OF THE BIBLE

STUDY HANDED ME A BIBLE AND

SAID, WHY DON'T YOU OPEN IT

UP TO PSALM 139 AND READ TO

US WHAT YOU SEE THERE.

WHEN HE BEGAN TO READ, I

MEAN, I WAS, LIKE,

OVERWHELMED IMMEDIATELY.

IT IS THIS IDEA THAT GOD

LOVES ME EVEN THOUGH I HAVE

BEEN RUNNING.

GOD HAS BEEN WAITING WITH

OPEN ARMS, EVEN THOUGH I

REJECTED HIM.

I REMEMBER READING VERSE

ONE, VERSE TWO, VERSE THROU,

THREEVERSE THREE, AND THEN

JUST CHOKING UP AND NOT

BEING ABLE TO READ ANYMORE.

I SAW THE TEARS ON HIS

CHEEKS.

IT WAS A VERY DRAMATIC

NIGHT.

I KNEW I COULD NOT GO

BACK TO BEING IN THE BAND I

WAS IN OR BEING THE PERSON I

WAS.

I SAID, I'M GIVING MY LIFE

BACK TO GOD.

I WOULD GO TO THE COFFEE

HOUSES AND I STARTED PLAYING

AND SINGING.

IT FELT RIGHT TO SING ABOUT

MY FAITH.

I SEE HOW IT WAS GOD

ORCHESTRATING SOME OF THESE

THINGS.

AND WE REALLY ARE THANKFUL

AND GRATEFUL FOR THAT WORK

OF THE LORD.

AND ONCE I ALLOWED HIM TO

BE EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE, HE

GAVE ME BACK MUSIC.

AND I WAS ABLE TO USE IT FOR

HIS GLORY, FOR HIS KINGDOM.