After serving in the Marine’s and facing traumatic events, one veteran fell into a life of drugs and homelessness. It was in his last moment of greatest despair that he had a supernatural encounter with God that radically altered the course of the rest of his life.
That man is Troy Vaughn, pastor and CEO of the Los Angeles Mission, one of the nation’s largest service providers to the homeless. His story is one of great heart aches—but also many triumphs.
“My father was found dead in a porta potty in the city of Inglewood in a park, with a needle in his arm,” Vaughn says in the Charisma magazine interview.
It was in that moment he realized he had suppressed childhood trauma from feeling abandoned by his father. He snapped and fell into a path of destruction. For seven years he was destitute, homeless and struggling with mental illness, trying to recover on his own.
“And then I met Jesus,” he says. Vaughn had an out of body experience with the Lord where God showed him the path of destruction him and many around the world were facing. “I made a covenant with God then. I told Him if He would save me, I would serve Him the rest of my life,” Vaughn says.
He hit rock bottom, realizing the need not just a Savior but a Lord of his life. Now he advocates for all believers to walk through the process of self examination. We are in a process of sanctification and just because you give your life to God doesn’t mean there isn’t past trauma that needs to be dealt with.
Vaughn went on a 12-step therapy process and found the transference that God offers. Over time he was able to release all of the junk he was dealing with and received God’s healing and restoration.
Tune into the rest of the interview with Vaughn to hear in-depth about his spiritual encounter where Jesus delivered him from mental illness and gave him the mind of Christ.
Shelby Bowen is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.
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