Anders got a second chance

Anders got a second chance.

When Anders Myrli from Sweden/Gävle grew up, his father was on constant flight from the police. Anders went into deep depression and after awhile dropped out of upper secondary school. Then alcohol became his best friend and finally he was stuck in an addiction. During an attempt of burglary he realized that his life was a failure and therefore he decided to end it.

When Anders Myrli was in upper secondary school he went into deep depression. He dropped out of school, left his congregation and started to drink huge amounts of alcohol. Finally it had gone so far that he was stuck in an addiction. After three months had passed and he had not paid his rent nor been able to buy food he decided to commit a burglary in order to get hold of money. After he had selected the building to break the windows, he went there late at night, totally unknowing that it would lead him in his
fathers footprints.

The meeting

During half of Anders childhood he lived without his father who then was a serious criminal on constant flight from the police. But the feeling of loss
remained deep within Anders and on one occasion when that feeling was grave he prayed; “Please God, make my dad come back.” The conviction Anders then got, was that they would meet again and did seven years later. It was after a visit to the taxation authority in Stockholm that he found his fathers name and address. After he had called his dad, they met at Sergelstorg in Stockholm .

Anders father told him the most amazing story he had ever heard about how he had decided to try out if God existed or not. He had prayed; “If you exist God I will do anything for you,” Nine months later he got the answer. “Will you go before people and confess to all of your crimes if I so wish?”

Ander’s father went to the police station and started to confess to all of his crimes. When the verdict fell he had been given the promise that he would see bigger miracles and he ended up with probation and was later released. He was a free man in both Sweden and Finland . God had given him a new life. He was liberated from drugs, crime and heart decease. When Anders heard this he became convinced of God’s existence.

Samir

Now Anders stood there about to crush those windows but it did not matter how hard he threw or how big the stone was he used. Nothing happened. The stones only bounced from the window without leaving a mark. That was when Anders realized that he could not do anything in his own power. Whether concerning relationships to other people, giving up alcohol or snus (a kind of tobacco) nor having a job or go to school. The thought of failure made him decide to take his life. But then, without warning, came Samir. He was a close friend to Anders who he had got to know after God had told him to move to Gävle. Samir had become a Christian a couple of months earlier and he was one of those who Anders had testified to earlier. After Samir had become a Christian he had told Anders every time they met how wonderful and great God was. Every Saturday Samir had tried to get Anders to follow him to church but Anders always had an excuse.

The decision

But this time Anders agreed to the proposal since it would be the last time he went there. A good way to end my life, he thought. When they got to church Anders started to hear voices that told him to leave because he was going to die anyway. Over and over again he heard those voices in his head throughout the entire meeting until he got so angry that he started to oppose them. Then something happened within him and all the cravings for alcohol disappeared. “I could only think of one thing and that was to go home and go to sleep. And for the first time in many years I woke up without anxiety. I was feeling so good, and I was happy!”

“No craving for alcohol any more, I felt only joy and peace.” God had come in to his life. The same day Samir came to his home and they decided to go to the skateboard park to preach to the youth that where there. Anders life had gone through a radical transformation and now he wants to show that to
everybody. He has always liked music and after some time he got back to studying music. Life is moving forward, even though it goes up and down sometimes. Since 2003 he shares everything with his wife Åsa. This year (2006) is Anders 28 th birthday and the things that have happened in his past have made their traces and they will always be there to remind him that you can not do anything in your own power.

Email: mog_andrew [email protected]

http://www.myrli.se