By Candace Pringle
Brandon Zirk calls FVChurch home. In fact, he has for over a year now, but he wasn’t always the kind of guy that would call a church “home.”
Brandon began his adult life already in a haze of obsession with alcohol and drugs, that began just 3 short years after his father passed away at age 14. He was in a downward spiral, but he now realizes that God has his hand on his life, even in that haze. During this period, it so happened that Brandon found himself an apartment, and needed decorations for the walls. His mother had previously offered him something free out of a Fingerhut catalog, and for some inexplicable reason, after flipping through that catalog 4-5 times, Brandon chose a charcoal painting of Jesus Christ. He hung that painting above his couch in his new apartment, and didn’t think of it again, until he woke up one morning out of a drunken stupor, with a loaded shotgun in his lap.
In 2013, Brandon had landed himself in prison. Devastated and totally lost, he knew that he was in need of a miracle, so when he was handed a book called The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren, he started reading it immediately. The questions soon began to bounce around in his mind. Who is God? What do I believe about Him? Do I have faith? His experience with church growing up, was limited to Easter Sunday, but he had always believed that there was something that put humanity and the earth into existence. His father had passed away at age 11, and at that point, everyone told him about heaven, so that must be true, right?
The book told him that he had a purpose, and that everything he would go through in life is for a greater purpose, and from a human standpoint, he may not always understand. As he began to embrace that truth, he began to pray, and the next day, he asked the Prison Chaplin for a Bible. While he waited for his Bible, he continued reading from Rick Warren, and started to recognize parts of his past where he knew God was there, and had intervened for him. It also became clear that there were certain people in his life, that had been placed there for a purpose! Had he been ignoring the signs all along?
By the time his Bible arrived, Brandon was flooded with emotion, and was truly regretting so much of his past. The Chaplin walked him through becoming a new believer in Christ, and on May 2nd, 2013, Brandon prayed the sinner’s prayer for the very first time, and tearfully gave his life over to Jesus. That evening, on the phone with his mom, he cried tears of joy and told her how much different he felt, now that he as a follower of Jesus.
Over the next five years, though still incarcerated, Brandon found ways to serve Jesus. Even in that hostile environment, he became a member of a youth ministry team, and was part of a Protestant choir. He never swayed from his faith Him, and kept up with Bible Studies and always read his Bible alone too. He wanted to know everything there was to know about God, and all His ways. Instead of allowing the prison system to get a hold of him, he kept his eyes on Jesus, holding onto His promises.
After being released, a cousin of Brandon’s introduced him to Freedom Valley, and he immediately fell in love with the environment. The people and the presence of God made the transition back to the real work much easier for him. Now, he calls FV home, and he’s so grateful that he’s not the old man he was before prison, and before salvation. He can look back and see all of the ways that Jesus was there throughout his life, even before he could truly recognize them. It’s only because of His mercy and grace, that Brandon is alive and thriving today. It’s been over 6 and a half years since he’s touched a drink or drug, and he’s never looking back.
“Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and I accept your forgiveness in my life. I choose to live my life you way, from today forward. Amen.”