Free At Last

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From the moment of conception he was not wanted. He was conceived by two young people out of wedlock. His soon-to-be mother was embarrassed and ashamed of the unborn child in her womb. Her parents looked down on her, told her she was an embarrassment to the family. Afraid and alone, not wanting to face the responsibility of single parenthood, this young woman was tempted to have an abortion, or even to commit suicide.

In this situation, Taj Pacleb was born. Although loved by his family, Taj grew up in the midst of division and dysfunction. Sometimes he lived with his mother, sometimes with his father. Painful memories of his parents fighting were etched on his young mind. His parents and close relatives tried their best to instruct him in the right path, but as he grew, Taj often chose what pleased him without regard to consequences.

By the time he was in the fifth grade he was a compulsive liar and thief. He would break into people’s homes and would steal marijuana plants from neighbors’ yards. One day he was rummaging through someone’s home when the owners suddenly got home. His heart raced as he looked to escape, but it was too late and he was sent to jail. Sadly, even that experience didn’t steer him away from his downward path.

By the time Taj was 14 he only went to high school to get high. His interests consisted of partying and doing drugs. His mother tried hard to provide a better future for him even if it meant working all night. She would come home in the morning and try to sleep a few hours before getting up and doing it all over again. Taj showed how much he appreciated her efforts by gathering his friends in his room, right next to his mother’s, to light up incense and have a smoking session.

No one saw much hope in Taj’s future. It seemed he was destined to be like the building he was named after: The Taj Mahal—a mausoleum housing the tomb of a Mughal emperor’s favorite wife. Taj looked popular and good on the outside, but in truth he was stone cold dead inside.

When the moments of pleasure faded, Taj would be left with an empty feeling and no peace. He longed for more. One day there was a knock at the door. Taj saw two young people with an invitation to a Bible seminar. As Taj noticed the sincere and peaceful look on their faces he felt moved to go. That night as he listened to the presenter share from the Bible, it was as if God Himself was speaking to him. A deep, overwhelming sense of hope that there was more to this life than the fleeting pleasures he dabbled with, compelled him to keep going to the meetings every single night.

One night, after one of those meetings, Taj made the decision to give up drugs. A peace enveloped him like a warm blanket and reassured him that he made the right decision. The next morning his friends invited him to the beach. On the way there they rolled up the windows, and rolled up a joint. Just like that, Taj found himself in the middle of a smoking session. His friends passed the joint along, and when it came to him he took it in his hand and looked at it, then passed it along. He said, “No thank you, I’m done!” 

For the first time, Taj felt like he had control of his life. It was a choice that was sweeter to him than getting high. All day he resisted the temptation to smoke… until that evening when they got home late.

Taj had been attending the Bible meetings every night, but this night he got home too late to go. Other friends came over and invited him out. Since he had nowhere to go, he hopped in the car to join them. Before Taj realized it, the windows were up and he had a joint in his hands. He took a hit and as he exhaled, all the joy and peace of the day was gone. He felt empty once more. “Why did I do that?”

Taj couldn’t help himself. He was a slave to those things. No matter how hard he tried in his own strength, he didn’t have the power to say “No” for good. He continued to go to the Bible meetings, sometimes even attending while he was high. After another meeting one night, he felt God calling him to give Him his whole heart, but there were conflicting thoughts being whispered in his ears.

“My friends will think I’m weak if I give my life to Jesus. I won’t be able to do this or that. Life will be so boring.” There was a flood of reasons not to accept the invitation he felt tugging at his heart and mind. Taj cried out to God pleading, “God, if you are real and if you want a better life for me, I realize that I can’t have you and drugs at the same time. I need you to do for me what I cannot do for myself. Free me from these addictions and my desire for them!”

Taj asked God to set him free, and he was free indeed, yet, he realized he had to stop “finding” himself in the middle of smoking sessions and instead place himself in the best circumstances to succeed. So he made changes in his life. He stopped frequenting his old hangout places. He filled his time with Bible study and even invited his old friends to study with him. He had the joy of seeing, not only his close friends, but also their families come to know and accept the One who set him free. Taj decided to dedicate his whole life to sharing with others the truth that set him free through his ministry (RevelationofHopeMinistries.com).

Over 17 years later, Taj is still experiencing the power of God to give true peace and freedom. Do you want to be set free? Have you been trying to give up your bad habits and your addictions, but time and time again you find yourself back at square one? It’s stronger than you, but there is One stronger than those obstacles in your life. Today, join Taj and ask God to do for you what you can’t do for yourself.

Do you want to learn what Taj learned in those Bible seminars? Sign up for FREE Bible Studies at: JourneysUnscripted.com/BibleStudy

To listen to the rest of his story, visit: JourneysUnscripted.com/Taj