Simon Williams’ life was dominated by alcohol, illegal drugs, fraud and theft. After countless crazy escapades, including crossing a minefield without mishap, he is caught by the authorities and put on trial in Israel.
These experiences do not change him, and he ends up back in prison in the UK. When his home life begins to break down, he tries to wean himself off his old habits – but can’t. In despair, he shouts out to God for help.
Within a few weeks Simon finds himself unable to take cocaine, and in his new book A Second Chance, Simon shares how his life is now radically changed for the better as he gets to know the God that has always looked after him.
Simon Williams is a computer engineer based in Suffolk and is now a trustee of Kairos Prison Ministry.
Simon, could you tell us a little about yourself?
I am 57 years old and have been married to Suzanne for nearly 27 years and we have 3 children together. I also have another child from a previous relationship. I live in Bury St Edmunds and am part of the leadership team at the Bridge Community Church on the Westley Site. I am a computer hardware engineer and travel around fixing servers for various companies.
Why did you decide to write A Second Chance?
I wanted to share with people the amazing way in which God has brought me through some life-threatening experiences, and to show that no matter how far a person can drift from God he can restore a person’s life.
Who have you written this book for?
This book is for everyone who is searching for meaning and purpose, especially those in prison and those who are struggling with drugs and addictions. It is also a great encouragement for Christians, to show how amazing God is in delivering people and watching over people through some very bad choices.
You admit that you made a series of bad choices in your early life. Can you outline some of these in a little detail? Looking back, do you think there was a reason that you went down this path?
Using and selling drugs, crossing a minefield, and buying goods on a stolen credit card were all bad choices.
I was looking to relieve my inner pain and tranquilise myself from it, and cannabis gave me that temporary release. This I believe was the start of me losing my moral compass, and slowly over a few years and with other drugs, my thinking became more distorted.
Was there a particular moment when you knew you needed Jesus in your life?
The most pivotal moment when I knew I needed Jesus was when my cocaine addiction was at is height and my whole life, marriage etc was about to fall apart, and that is when I cried out for help.
You talk about how God can heal our inner wounds and issues that we carry around with us. Can you give us an example of this in your life?
I really like the quote by Aristotle: ‘Show me the boy till he is 7 and I will show you the man.’ Those first seven years are pivotal in a person’s life and can shape how that person thinks and behaves in adulthood. God has shown me some of the things that affected me in those early years and once illuminated, a healing began. These included, for example, my relationship with my father who was absent early on and the turmoil he had with home life and alcohol.
Can you just share a little about the difference Jesus has made to your life?
The difference has been amazing! He has restored my marriage and my whole life. It is like he has rewired my thinking and put me back into my right mind. He restored my career, my finances, put me into leadership positions and used my mess to become a message of hope to others.
You are now involved in prison ministry. Can you tell us a little about this?
I have been working with Kairos prison ministry for just over 10 years now, and we take the gospel into prisons and share the good news of Jesus. I am now a trustee of the charity and also led a mission in 2018. My wife and I also regularly visit Whitemoor prison on a Sunday morning to help with the service.
How can we best pray for those in prison?
The best, and most obvious, prayer is that prisoners will come to know Jesus and accept him into their lives so that their lives can be transformed and that inner healing can begin.
Do you have one piece of advice for parents or anyone watching a loved one making bad choices in their lives?
Never give up hope and keep praying if you are a Christian.
What was the most challenging element of writing the book?
The most challenging element for me was to honour those close to me and also being reminded constantly on how I affected them and what misery my actions had caused them.
And what was the most rewarding element of writing this book?
Honouring God in all he has done for me and seeing how far he has brought me and restored me and my family.
Have you learnt anything new about God while writing this book?
In writing this, it has kept my faith fresh and kept me in constant awe of how God forgives us and restores us. I started writing this quite a few years ago, so it amazes me that the vision I had about writing it is now becoming a reality, which gives me great hope.
What do you hope readers will most get out of reading this book?
I hope and pray that people will see the way in which God has moved in my life and know that God can do the same in their life too, and that he loves all of us - no matter how far we can drift away from him.
In one sentence, how would you describe A Second Chance?
A Second Chance is a message of hope, a message of love and joy, and a message of the abundant life we can experience through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Is there anything we can pray for you?
Please pray that the Lord would use this book to reach many people, and that he would use me to deliver the message of hope and deliverance that I have experienced through his love for me.
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