In today’s episode of Changing, host Donald Kelly talks to Keith Diaferia about his transformation from Darkness to Light.
Even the people closest to Keith didn’t truly know who he was.
- He was compelled to darkness through drugs, alcohol, and the nightlife.
- While living in Chicago, Keith became affiliated with a gang, who became like a second family.
- Keith ignored the guidance of his parents and siblings. While they thought he was just a “mixed-up kid,” Keith was becoming a monster through the relationships that were taking over his life.
- When Keith was 14, he had the desire to be part of a dark lifestyle and yet he felt the presence of Christ in his life. He just didn’t know what to do with it.
By day, Keith had his “normal” life.
- However, he would participate in street fighting at night, returning home with a broken nose or a black eye. Keith then became a money collector, living out this secret life between the ages of 14 and 20.
- Around the age of 40, he was tired of waking up not knowing if an enemy would finally get him. He’d been shot seven times, stabbed four times, beaten countless times, and almost died three times from anaphylactic reactions to medication.
God touched Keith’s heart.
- Keith knew he had to change. So he walked away from wealth, relationships, and material possessions to move toward God’s love.
- Keith endured much to get in and out of this lifestyle; his gang required a beat-in and beat-out. He endured a beating for 3 minutes from the chin to the waist, without defending himself, by 80 members of the chapter. When it was done, he had three broken ribs, a punctured lung, a lacerated kidney, lacerated liver, internal bleeding, a broken hip, and a cracked sternum. He was hospitalized for four weeks.
Keith’s past life continues to haunt him.
- Since then, Keith has been approached twice to return, and his life has been threatened for not doing so.
- Both times, however, he let them know that he wasn’t turning his back on God.
- Because of the code, the gang lives by, Keith has earned their respect with his loyalty to God. Even with his life threatened, he remained loyal to his renewed faith and new life.
- Keith came back to church when his two sisters approached him after Holy Spirit directed their steps back to him, even when they were scared to approach.
- Keith’s parting advice? Everyone is worthy of this love, worthy of change, and worthy of the blessing God has for each of us. So have faith, discipline, and love to see true change. That’s how Keith did it.
MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle
