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Issue link: http://magazine.kcm.org/i/1259480
“What do you want?” the kid asked. “As much as you’ve got.” He pulled out cocaine in separate bags. As soon as Todd took the bags, pretending to be an undercover cop, he said to the kid, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law….” “I knew you were a cop! I knew it!” Todd pulled his Jeep over. “Get out and put your hands on the hood,” he said to the kid. Before Todd could move, the kid got out of the car, spun around, and began firing his 9 mm handgun at close range, shooting until the gun was empty, as Todd sped away. I’m dead! I’m dead! Todd thought. I’ve been shot! I’ve got to get out of here! Fueled by adrenalin, Todd floored the Jeep and rushed through red lights as he made his getaway. As he drove, he heard an audible voice that was louder than the gun blast: 'I took those bullets for you. Are you ready to live for Me yet?' As he drove out of the city, Todd realized he didn’t feel any pain from the bullets. When he reached a safe place, he started using the drugs. For the next three and a half hours, Todd used up all the crack cocaine. But for some reason, he recalled, he didn’t get high. Each time he took a hit, he heard that voice he had heard earlier: 'I took those bullets for you. Are you ready to live for Me yet?' “I drove home and got out of my car,” Todd remembers. “I used a flashlight to see how many bullet holes were in the car. There wasn’t one. Not even a scratch. “It was early August 2004 at about 5:30 in the morning. I went inside and Jackie started screaming at me. I knew that something greater than me had saved my life. Those words were still playing in my head. Earlier they had been audible, coming from the outside. Now the words were quiet, but internal. “I contacted Pastor Dan and he said a bed had opened for me at Teen Challenge, and that I could be admitted in three days. I agreed to go. It was a one-year commitment. “Jackie was glad I was leaving. She hated me. Destiny was sad. Bobby was glad I was going to rehab until he learned that it was a Christian program. That made him furious. Teen Challenge “I was not only a drug addict, I had ADHD, dyslexia and bipolar disorder. I was on antidepressants. Teen Challenge wasn’t your typical rehab program. They didn’t discuss 12 steps. They didn’t talk about drugs or alcohol. They never mentioned chemical imbalances. They didn’t discuss serotonin levels. They only talked about one step: submitting to God. They talked about Jesus. They taught the Bible. “I’d never been able to read, learn or memorize, but I started reading, learning and understanding the Bible. I was stunned that so many people knew about Jesus, but no one had shared the gospel with me in 34 years.” Two months into the program, Todd’s heart was settled as he sat on a bench across the street from Teen Challenge. He watched as a homeless man with a scruffy beard and wearing a baseball cap, army fatigues and swimming goggles, walked by pushing a shopping cart. Looking up, Todd said, “Hey, Jesus loves you. I hope you know it.” The man pushed his cart to the side. “I know how much He loves me,” he told Todd. “Do you know how much He loves you?” “Tell me.” The man began to share the gospel in the most compelling way Todd had ever heard. “Why are you pushing a shopping cart?” Todd asked. BVOV : 15