From Despair to Hope: The Encounter That Changed Everything

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My name is Daniele, and I want to give glory to God for what He has done in my life.

Until May of last year, my life was marked by emptiness. Since my adolescence, I tried to fill it in every way: with friendships, alcohol, drugs, and above all, money. I thought that having money and appearing happy would bring me peace, but it was only an illusion.

Over time, gambling and betting became an addiction that led me to ruin: I lost my house, my car, and accumulated debts. No one knew about my problem, not even Marlen, the woman I loved and who is now my wife. Shame was destroying me.

In May 2024, desperate, I had decided to end it all. I was standing on a bridge, ready to take my life, when I heard a voice in my heart saying:

“I gave you life, and you want to take it away?”

It was God. At that moment, I realized I had to stop running away. I spoke with the pastor of the church I attended in Perugia and asked for help. He put me in touch with a recovery community, and after an interview, I waited for their response.

The following Sunday, Marlen told me we were going to a church in Rome. I didn’t know it at the time, but that day would change everything. People prayed for me, and there I truly felt God’s presence. I began to understand the value of prayer and fellowship.

From that Sunday until Thursday—the day I was expecting a call from the recovery community—I prayed every day, asking God for guidance. But that call never came—and I realized that God had already answered: from that day on, I no longer felt the urge to gamble.

Today, I can say that God has restored my life. He freed me from addiction, gave me back a house, a car, two jobs, and, most importantly, hope.

I want to encourage anyone who is suffering: whatever your problem may be, seek the Lord.
He is the answer to every emptiness and can transform your life, just as He transformed mine.

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