{Miracles Week} His Grace.

Written By: Rejean Brochu

Today, I want to give all glory and honour to my Lord,  and to His precious Word, The Bible, that was given, at school, to my younger brother by a Gideon.

I was born in North Quebec.  As the oldest of 10 children, I had to leave school at age 13 to help my Dad in the family business. In spring of 1966, my parents decided to move our family to Ontario, to work the harvest in this county.
In 1967, my father founded a construction company, where all his children would work in roofing and building material. I was my Dad’s right arm. We all worked very hard but, in order to succeed my Dad was very demanding.  In June 1971, I met my wife and we were married that following December.

One day, I asked my Dad “What is your goal in life?” and he told me it was to make one million dollars. He wanted to buy a White Cadillac. I told him, “We will do it.”, and we did do it, that same year. I started following in my father’s footsteps, with heavy drinking.  By now our construction company had 50 employees and several departments. I was under a lot of stress, and my health and marriage suffered. I began slipping into a deep depression, and could not handle the pressure anymore.

In 1979, we added a new division to the company in trucking and I could no longer deal with the alcohol and anti-depressants. I never told anyone about this, until I got saved….I decided to end my life by driving my truck off of a cliff. But, before I did, I said  “God forgive me, for what I am about to do.” Then I turned the wheel very sharp to the right but, it did not turn at all. God had another plan for my life.

By this time, my wife was saved and she was going to the weekly Bible Study. The group was praying for my salvation. I said to her, I would let her go to the meetings, if she would let me go to the bar with the boys but, she never did tell me that she had been praying for my salvation. At this time, my younger brother had received a New Testament from the Gideon.  It was at my parents’ house and no one was reading it, so I took it and read the inside cover several times. It read: “As you read this book, may you receive help in the time of need.”

Finally in 1981, I quit my job in the family business, and decided to move my family back up to North Quebec, to my late father-in-law’s house. I had 2 brothers-in-law still living there and they welcomed us with open arms. That was late November 1981 and my life was still a mess. I was very depressed. No Job. No Money. A wife and 3 children that I was responsible for. We spent that Christmas with very little. After the holidays, I decided again to take my life.

In January of 1982, I took my brother-in-law’s 303 riffle. I still remember the look on my wife’s face as I was heading out. She said, “Where are you going??” I told her I was going hunting. She was scared and very concerned. She began praying for me, just as soon as I left. I walked into the bush, away from the house. I always had in mind, the truth about God’s love and how Jesus had died on Calvary for me. I said out loud, “Jesus, if You are real, I need to know this today…that You forgive me of my sins, and that You would come into my heart.” He did forgive me.  And He did come into my heart.

I wept bitterly for a long time but, the hurts from the past and the depression left me. I saw a rabbit pretty far off, and I shot at him and missed. My wife heard the shot from the house, and sent her brother to come and check on me. He came running and screaming, “Reg! Are you okay?!?” My response was, “I am fine.  Never felt better in my life.” I came out of the bush that day with a hope that everything was going to be okay.

I read Psalms 116:1-4:

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow.  Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”

Now I understand God’s grace,  and I now work with the Gideon’s. I will always be thankful for the South-Essex Camp that took time to give my younger brother that little New Testament Bible.  That one day forever changed the course of my life. My late Dad got saved 2 years before he past away. My late Mom loved the Lord her whole life. Several of my brothers and sisters now serve the Lord and follow Him. The miracle here is that I am alive and writing this. I am here by God’s amazing grace and His unfailing love.  

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About Rejean Brochu:

Rejean Brochu is married to his Wife and Best-Friend Evelyne for 43 years, walking through many seasons of ‘For better or For worse’ they have together grown and their love and commitment has endured the test of time. Loving Father of 3 Grown-Children, who have collectively blessed Him with 9 Grand-Children, who in turn have continued to bless Him, with 5 Great-Grand-Children.