Saved from the Road to Destruction
Though he was only nine years old, Parnav was walking a road that could only lead to destruction. His parents worked incredibly long hours to provide for their family, so Parnav spent most of his time alone and unsupervised.
Lacking in guidance and attention, Parnav began to act out. When he did go to school, he was disruptive and refused to participate in the activities. He often treated his neighbors disrespectfully and fought with the other children his age. He even began smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, and soon became addicted to both. At home, Parnav spoke rudely to his parents and disregarded all their attempts to discipline him. His parents had no idea how to motivate Parnav to choose a better path.
His mother, Kaanchi, then learned of a Children’s Bible Club starting nearby. Since she and her husband were Christians, she hoped that spending time in a godly environment would help Parnav.
Parnav, however, had different plans. He ignored Sofian, the Bible Club leader, and did his best to make the Bible Club miserable for all the other children. Parnav’s behavior was so rude that some children even stopped attending to get away from him.
But Sofian refused to give up. He started with prayer, asking God to break through Parnav’s hard heart. Then Sofian counseled the students who had stopped coming that if they prayed and worked together to show Parnav love and compassion, God would change Parnav’s heart.
The next week, there was a clear shift in the atmosphere of the Bible Club. The other children spoke to Parnav with kindness and invited him to join in their games. Parnav was so surprised that the children he had been mean to were treating him like a friend, and it disarmed him! Starting that day, Parnav’s tough exterior began to break.
Gradually, Parnav’s behavior changed. He attended the Bible Club every day, and he soon began singing along to the fun action songs. He made friends, and he enjoyed playing sports and listening to Sofian tell Bible stories.
Eventually, the changes in Parnav were noticeable even to those outside the Bible Club. He started reading his Bible at home, and he was more respectful to his parents. At school, he finally applied effort and soon began excelling in his studies. Best of all, Parnav received Jesus as his Savior and committed to living his life for Christ! Praise God for saving Parnav from the path of destruction!
