The younger sibling of the two, growing up, Sam David, always felt the pressure of being compared. Sam recalls that “I was compared with different kids especially in my house with my elder brother who was so good at everything.” Sam felt that he was always lacking somewhere and couldn’t find satisfaction in his life. But what made the situation go from bad to worse was the constant quarrels and fights that occurred in Sam’s family. Suffering from an unhappy marriage, Sam’s parents would often have disagreements, and as a consequence, Sam’s childhood was scarred with memories of constant clashes in his household.
In all of this, Sam empathized the most with his mother, with whom he shared a close bond. His heart ached when he saw his mother toil to make ends meet. Sam strongly desired to get through his school education as quickly as he could so that he could work and earn money to support his family. That is exactly what Sam found himself doing after completing Class 12. Having newly attained financial freedom, Sam found himself engrossed with the fear of missing out. The peer pressure and the desire to stay relevant among friends led him to his first sip of alcohol at the tender age of 17. To cope with the bitter life at home and an internal struggle with his self-esteem, Sam soon sank into a crippling addiction to alcohol and chain-smoking.
This lifestyle did not offer much to Sam other than momentary gratification. However, what the lifestyle did eventually bring to Sam were multiple health problems. He was unfortunately diagnosed with a failing liver and damaged lungs. Sam had hit rock bottom in life. He began to lose all hope of recovering from his ailments. However, the bright life that awaited Sam was not meant to halt at this dark juncture. God had a purpose for Sam’s life, which he would come to realize soon after the visit of a relative while he was in the hospital. Sam recalls the life-changing moment, “Once you’ve tried everything, open this book and you shall find your answers.”
Beyond answers, what Sam found in the Bible was a warm embrace from God. Sam lacked the presence of a strong father figure while growing up, but this void was filled by the personality of Jesus, whom Sam came across in the Bible. Sam heard a comforting voice which reassuringly told him “I know that we’re in the middle of a storm but I am also in the boat with you”.
Reinvigorated with this confidence, Sam sought to leave his life of addiction and turn over a new leaf. And what ensued gave a further push to Sam in this direction. A few weeks after his diagnosis, Sam was once again summoned by the doctor. The doctor informed Sam that even after running multiple tests, they were stunned to see the sudden change in Sam’s medical reports. All parameters where Sam’s body had been failing were changed to normalcy.
Physically, mentally, and most importantly spiritually, Sam had received a renewed life from God. God led Sam from severe addiction to now almost a decade-long sober life, and from growing up in a broken family to a fulfilling marriage. Having received a new life himself, Sam now seeks to build up the lives of the youth around him and serves at Alpha India to aid churches across India and Asia.
