Acts 9:1-9 NKJV

[1] Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest [2] and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. [3] As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. [4] Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” [5] And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” [6] So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” [7] And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. [8] Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. [9] And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Saul, by all accounts, was a scary man. I can't speak of his size or stature, but he was a man of great religious authority. He wasn't the kind of guy to shy away from conflict, especially when it came to his convictions and beliefs. He did everything in his power to disrupt and dismantle the early church... until he met Jesus on his way to Damascus.

Most everyone who has had an encounter with Jesus has a "road to Damascus" story. There was something that stopped you dead in your tracks. It may not have the same wow factor as being stricken with blindness or the audible voice of the Lord, but the outcome ended up being the same. It makes no difference how we got here. The important thing is that we have made it.

The journey for Saul ended somewhere along that roadway. Mine ended in a detox room at a drug rehab facility. It wasn't glamorous or flashy. It wasn't fun or exciting. My experience felt like the end of the world at first. It was scary not knowing the outcome. I had no idea how things could ever be okay.

Devine sovereignty does not rely on current circumstances for an amazing outcome. God is cool like that! He took a total mess of the man I was and started writing a brand new story. I don't waste much time looking back because it has no bearing on where I am going. I have no idea how my story ends, but the ending is going to be way better than the beginning.