Mike Wright and his family appeared to have the dream life, until nine years ago when harsh reality struck ...

That was when the police showed up at our doorstep to talk to us about my daughter,” says Mike. “My world was ‘rocked’. I began to realize things were out of control with my daughter and we needed help.”
Mike had been living far from reality. “I thought life was great. Truly I had been blessed with Tammy, my wonderful wife, had a great career as a sales manager, and lived in a very nice home.”
He was also self-centred, but he didn’t care. “I was pushing to get ahead in my career, trying to gain the best car, biggest house, and really didn’t care at whose expense these might be. Others in the workplace and my family might suffer, but I had this drive to get ahead. Frankly, I was very self-indulgent.”
During family counselling Mike questioned for the first time his ability as a husband and father and realised the challenges they faced would shake the very foundation of his family and marriage.
“I began to realize that this situation was bigger than me. Tammy and I decided to go to church ... maybe this would help. We had moved to a new community a few years before but had no sense of ‘belonging’.
“As we attended church and small group Bible studies we began to learn more about this Lord Jesus Christ.
“We also heard about how others found help through Jesus and others in the group. I became curious as I saw the love these people displayed in hugs and words of encouragement.”
Mike says his attention and heart was captured when he heard someone praying passionately for him out loud. “Seeing the love of Jesus, the peace, and the resolve of these people, I was captivated. I understood that they had changed lives. I began to seek Jesus to change mine. I needed help because I couldn’t help myself. I discovered through the teachings of the Bible that I could not change my life on my own.
“In Romans chapter 3, verse 23, the Bible says, ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ I had this sinful nature to do wrong and could not change it through doing good deeds, trying to be a good dad, or trying to earn my way to Jesus.
“The only way I could avoid God’s righteous judgement of death for my sin is if I accept that Jesus paid the price by dying on the cross so we could be set free from sin. The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse our hearts (1 John 1:9), and then we begin a heart relationship with Him.
“Jesus loves me and wants me to have a personal relationship with Him!
“I had been trying to be good enough but had to realize that Jesus had a gift of forgiveness for me that I could not earn.”
Having understood what God required of him, one Sunday morning Mike heard the pastor invite anyone who needed to pray to come forward. “My heart had been racing throughout the message and I knew the Lord
was working on my heart. I had been concerned that giving my heart to Him could mess up my great marriage or destroy my professional image at work. I decided to go forward and let God work out all those details. Somehow I believed that I could trust Him.
“I wanted to get my heart right so I could be the husband and father that I needed to be and who the Lord wanted me to be. When I prayed, confessed my sins, and asked the Lord to take me as His child, I felt like a heavy load of weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I sobbed like a baby. I left as a man in a new relationship with Jesus, no longer lord of my own life but submitted to Jesus, my Lord.
“Now that I have come to know Jesus personally, He encourages me to spend time with Him each day in prayer and Bible study. My relationship with Jesus is dynamic and an exciting process of growth, not perfection but loving obedience. He teaches me how to be the father and husband that He wants me to be. Guilt, bitterness and rivalry have now been replaced with peace, love, and serving others. In addition He gives me peace, strength, and hope in middle of life’s challenges and struggles.”