“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners sufferingin iron chains. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love” — Psalm 107
For many of us, the concept of being redeemed from darkness to light is very real. We remember vividly the joy of shedding the past and being made new in Christ. However, few stories have touched me as deeply as Evan Hirmer’s. His story is truly a journey “from the depths of utter darkness” to light and love.
Evan is the son of Peter and Rowena Hirmer, faithful disciples in the Boston Church of Christ for many years. Evan’s challenges began at a very young age. As the only red-head in his school, he soon became the target of bullying which he would endure throughout his school years. As with most children who are bullied, Evan suffered in silence, being taunted, ridiculed and even beaten. The breaking point for Evan was in middle school when a young boy said to him “you are a soulless person to God—you don’t deserve to live.” In Evan’s words, “the darkness was building up like water behind a dam.” What he had heard in church about God’s love seemed like a lie.
Once the dam broke, Evan invited the darkness in. He began to abuse drugs and alcohol, and began to steal to support his addictions. The deeper he immersed himself in this world, the more dangerous it became. On several occasions Evan even tried to take his own life. He was trying everything he could think of to dull the pain of feeling unloved and unwanted. Even as Evan prayed for death, though, his parents prayed for life. They earnestly pleaded with God to save their son physically, emotionally and spiritually. Neither doctors nor therapists had any permanent and lasting solutions. God truly was their only hope.
After hearing a song written by a gifted artist, Evan began a spiritual quest. He investigated many religions and spiritual paths. Then one day at church he heard a message from evangelist Cash McHargue about God’s love. For some reason, that day the word spoke to him. He began to study the Bible with Cash and Jeremy Minsk, and he started to understand God’s love for him. He realized how dark the path was that he was on, and saw that it was God’s love that had saved him from death on more than one occasion. As his faith and conviction grew, Evan decided to commit his life to Christ, and on March 16, 2014 he was baptized!
Although his challenges are far from over, Evan no longer sits in darkness but in the light and love of God and his family.
Editor’s note: Look for part two of the story – His parents journey.
Shared from International Missions Society.
