Tears of an Orphan
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Episode 26
© Mary Francis Solomon
When the conference was over, Pastor James and his wife sat Caleb down and gently asked him questions about himself—his background, and what led him into drinking.
With tears in his eyes, Caleb narrated everything that had happened to him. He spoke about his pain, his struggles, and how he felt deeply ashamed for turning his heart away from God during his time of hardship.
They felt deep pity for him.
Pastor James moved closer and sat beside Caleb, then drew him into a warm embrace.
“Son, stop regretting so much, okay?” Pastor James said softly.
“God has already forgiven you. He has accepted you into His wonderful family and Kingdom. We are here to help you overcome this addiction and your past. With the help of God, we believe He will change you and turn you into a mighty vessel in His hands.”
Caleb nodded slowly, holding back tears.
Pastor James smiled and asked,
“Caleb, do you know something?”
Caleb shook his head.
“There is a great potential I see in you,” Pastor James continued.
“You will not just become a man of God—you will become someone who liberates people from addiction. Sometimes the devil feels he has captured a person and wasted many years of their life. But what he doesn’t know is that he cannot cancel God’s purpose. God can turn your pain into a message. Stop seeing only your past—see the message in it. Through your testimony, people going through the same situation you passed through will be delivered.”
He paused and took a deep breath.
“Let me tell you a little story about myself.”
He looked straight into Caleb’s eyes.
“Would you believe that I was once a cultist when I was in the university?”
Caleb’s eyes widened in shock.
“Yes,” Pastor James continued.
“I was a cultist. I knew how to frustrate people’s lives. My gang and I turned the school into a place of fear. Everyone lived with caution. Anyone who offended us, we dealt with the person severely.”
He sighed deeply.
“It got so bad that during exams, if I asked a student for answers and the person refused—whether innocently or deliberately—I would deal with that person after the exam. I would follow the person, find out where they lived, and punish them terribly, so that next time, out of fear, they would help me.”
“We also threatened lecturers in my department. I was worse than what you think you are today. But let me tell you something—God found me. Not only did He find me, He arrested me.”
Pastor James’ voice became heavy.
“My father was a pastor, a General Overseer. I frustrated his life so much that he didn’t know what to do with me. One day, he told me never to come to his house again. He said I was bringing disgrace to him and hindering his ministry. Anytime he preached about sin, people mocked him, saying he couldn’t even train his own child.”
“It was very painful for my parents, especially my mother.”
He continued, “I was once a fervent child of God, but when I entered the university, academics became difficult for me. I failed courses and carried over many subjects. That was how I was lured into cultism. They told me we could use influence and threats to force lecturers to pass us.”
“My parents never stopped praying for me, but my stubbornness gave my father high blood pressure. He told me that if I want him to live long, I should stop coming to his house. Still, they prayed for me every day.”
Pastor James swallowed hard.
“One day, my gang clashed with another cult group. We were fighting—exchanging bullets and machetes. It was terrible. Thirteen people died. Caleb, I was the only one that survived. I was stabbed and rushed to the hospital, but the others died instantly.”
He wiped his face.
“By God’s divine arrangement, the nurse who treated me was a God-fearing woman. Whenever she treated me, she prayed in tongues. At first, I was unconscious, but when I started recovering, I noticed she always prayed under her breath before giving me medication.”
“I even thought she was doing incantations on me.”
Caleb listened attentively.
“Two days before I was discharged, she introduced the Word of God to me. She made me understand why my life was spared. That day, I cried like a baby on that hospital bed.”
“Other nurses thought she had done something wrong to me because I was crying uncontrollably. They wanted to report her, but I quickly defended her.”
“After I was discharged, she introduced me to her pastor. Thank God he was a genuine servant of God. He trained me, nurtured me, and mentored me for one year.”
“That was when God revealed to me that He had called me into youth ministry.”
He looked at Caleb seriously.
“Caleb, I was not only a cultist—I was a drug addict and a sex addict. I was very violent. If a woman refused me, I would beat her or threaten her. I was terrible. It was only God’s mercy that preserved my live.”
Caleb was dumbfounded.
Listening to Pastor James comforted him deeply. If God could change a cultist, a drug addict, and a violent man, then God could surely change him too.
Pastor James concluded, “Caleb, I’m not telling you this story to glorify my past. I’m telling you so you will know that God is intentional about saving people. He is not picky. He forgives even the worst sinner, as long as the person is truly sorry. He will cleanse you and make you new.”
After he finished speaking, Caleb felt relieved.
They prayed together.
They embraced together.
Hope was reborn in Caleb’s heart.
To be continued…
Inspired by the Great Teacher.
Is there anyone like Caleb reading this story?
Or someone who has experienced something similar?
Do you feel too far gone?
Do you feel unworthy of forgiveness?
Remember—God loves you so much.
He desires to see you come back to Him.
Come to Him.
Lay your burdens at His feet.
He will forgive you.
He will turn your mess into a message.
I hope this episode is for someone.
Do not forget to like, share, and comment—it encourages me to do better.
Do not copy or edit any part of this story without the author’s consent.
Stay blessed till we meet in the next episode.
Written by Mary Francis Solomon.