January 25th is a date I will never forget

A few years ago, I walked into the Christian Care Center broken, addicted, and running from everything that hurt. It was here, through the love and truth of Christ, that my life began to change. It was here that I surrendered my life to Jesus. And it was through the prayers, patience, and faithfulness of so many people at Christian Care Center and at First Baptist Leesburg that God rebuilt what I had destroyed.

But well before January 25th, there were tears.

There were late-night prayers. There were moments when I would talk to my little brother, still trapped in addiction, and hope he could see what God had done in me. I remember one conversation clearly. He said, “I’m glad God works for you… but I still need this medicine.” He was talking about methadone. My heart broke because I knew that the same Jesus who rescued me could rescue him too.

And the staff and residents here never stopped praying for him. Even when he didn’t believe. Even when he wasn’t ready.

This January 25th, I stood in the baptism waters at First Baptist Leesburg, and my little brother stood beside me. Not the same man. Not defeated. Not hopeless. But humbled, restored, and recommitted to Christ. I had the incredible privilege of baptizing him.

We come from a broken upbringing. We have seen addiction, pain, and darkness up close. But standing in that water together, it was a testimony that our past does not have the final word. Jesus does.

The Christian Care Center Men's residence is more than a program to me. It is a house of miracles. It is where God met me. It is where people prayed for my family before they even knew how the story would end. And First Baptist Leesburg is where I found a church family that believed in me when I barely believed in myself.

To see my brother finish his program here and boldly declare his faith in Christ is something I cannot explain without tears. It is grace I do not deserve, but I am so grateful to witness.

If you are praying for a loved one who seems too far gone, please don’t stop. I am standing proof that God answers prayer. And now my brother is too.

Jesus still rescues. He still restores. And He is still writing stories that only He could write.

With gratitude, Bud Norton