Birmingham, AL
Christopher Sanders at age 42, was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. Chris Sanders talks about what it was like growing up with just his mom raising him, his older sister Leslie, and his younger brother Brandon mainly all by herself. Chris talks about his drug addiction, how his mom and dad divorced when he was 1 1/2 years old, and how a woman by the name of Marion Peterson led him to the Lord at The Church at Tuscaloosa. Chris tells a testimony about what it was like being the middle child and how God changed his life after he spent 10 years in jail.
My name is Christopher Sanders. Everyone who know me just calls me Chris. I came from a background where my mom was mom and dad to me, my older sister, and younger brother. I felt like I was always caught in the middle when we had problems. If you are the middle child in your family then you know what I mean. I always felt that my mom gave my older sister more attention because she was her only daughter and they could relate to each other better. I felt that my mom gave my younger brother more attention because he was the baby of the family. I felt that by me always being caught in the middle of everything I found an excuse to get into some trouble. When my mom and my father divorced, I was going on 2 years old, my older sister was 5 years old, and my mom was expecting my little brother. So at the age of 10, some of the older kids introduced me into smoking.
I found it difficult to try to cope with missing my dad and him not being around so I thought smoking was a way to cope. I got hooked on smoking cigarettes for 6 years. By the time I was 14 years old, I met up with some drug dealers on the streets, who had introduced me to cocaine. I was caught in the middle of some serious problems and I thought at the time that doing bad things were cool. By the time I was 18 years old, I was doing drugs and selling drugs to minors. When you hang out on the streets you start to learn some things. One of the things I learned was how to sell drugs. The same way the grown teenagers sold drugs to me when I was a minor, was the same way I sold drugs to minors. By the time I graduated from high school, I was locked up for 10 years in jail for doing drugs and selling drugs. My older sister and younger brother were the complete opposite of me and didn't get into trouble like I did. When you have a feeling of wanting respect, you seem to think that what is bad is good; it's when you're screwed up in the head, you don't realize how much of an idiot you are until you are in lockup.
I found it difficult to try to cope with missing my dad and him not being around so I thought smoking was a way to cope. I got hooked on smoking cigarettes for 6 years. By the time I was 14 years old, I met up with some drug dealers on the streets, who had introduced me to cocaine. I was caught in the middle of some serious problems and I thought at the time that doing bad things were cool. By the time I was 18 years old, I was doing drugs and selling drugs to minors. When you hang out on the streets you start to learn some things. One of the things I learned was how to sell drugs. The same way the grown teenagers sold drugs to me when I was a minor, was the same way I sold drugs to minors. By the time I graduated from high school, I was locked up for 10 years in jail for doing drugs and selling drugs. My older sister and younger brother were the complete opposite of me and didn't get into trouble like I did. When you have a feeling of wanting respect, you seem to think that what is bad is good; it's when you're screwed up in the head, you don't realize how much of an idiot you are until you are in lockup.
Meanwhile, I had a chance to serve my time in jail. I remember going to church services since I was 5 years old up until I started getting into trouble when I was 10. What I will never forget is when I went to church services in Tuscaloosa, how the pastor used to give altar calls for people who wanted to give their life to Jesus Christ and be saved. At age 28, I will never forget how a beautiful brunette hair woman with beautiful green eyes named Marion Peterson led me to the Lord. Marion was also 28 and she was led to ask me some questions.
Marion: "Do you know that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that he loves you?"
Me: "I don't know Jesus but would like to know him."
Marion: "Would you like for me to pray with you?"
Me: "Yes."
Marion: "Okay what's your name?"
Me: "Chris Sanders."
Marion told me to bow my head and close my eyes and that's exactly what I did.
Marion: "Dear Heavenly Father we are here today praying and in agreement today Lord, Chris want to know you and be saved and cleansed and made whole. Lord please bless Chris and show him your love and no matter what Chris has done that you forgive him of all his sins. Chris desires to live for Jesus and is tired of living for Satan and living in sin. Chris desires to have a great relationship with you and thank you for sending your only begotten Son to die on the cross that Chris and everyone's sins could be forgiven. And father God please send a labourer across Chris's path to be a blessing to him and that your perfect will be done in Chris's life in Jesus name, Amen!"
Marion had given me the following Bible verses: Romans 3:23 (KJV) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 6:8 (KJV) "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." John 3:16-17 (KJV) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Ephesians 2:5 (KJV) "Even when were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)."
I remember thanking Marion and bawling like a little kid. Me and Marion kept in touch by calling each other and I joined The Church at Tuscaloosa and 4 years later, I asked Marion Peterson if she would marry me, we not only got married but we have a beautiful baby girl named Helen who is now 5 years old. Marion and I have been married 10 years now. God sent the right woman across my path and I give him all the glory.
This fictional story is up there in my top 2 favorite fictional stories that I've written. You have a typical child who grew up in a single parent home with just mom raising him his older sister and his younger brother mainly all by herself. Chris Sander's mom made sure she brought her 3 children to church because too many of the bad crowd is out in the rough parts of Birmingham, AL. Chris got caught up in the wrong crowd and served his time while in jail. When Chris got of jail he never forgot how his mom raised him, his older sister, and his younger brother on Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Chris met a woman who lead Chris to the Lord who also wound up being his wife. I enjoy writing fictional stories like this but I also enjoy stories that are surreal where stuff like this actually happen to people in real life too.
The Church at Tuscaloosa
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