| Near Death to New Life |
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Near death to new life (it must be love) Gram Seed lay in a coma on life support. Years of abusive living had taken their  toll on his body and mind. Christians who had befriended Gram prayed for his recovery. He was healed and went on to commit his life to following Jesus Christ. But what happened next?When we first told Gram’s dramatic story, we described him as ‘a giant of a man with a heart to match’ for at 6 ft 6 inches, tattooed and scarred he is indeed larger than life. Gram’s autobiography One Step Beyond has been influential in changing many lives. His new book It must be love picks up the story as he recalls with honesty and humour how far he has come and looks forward to the opportunities of his growing ministry Sowing Seeds. (www.sowingseeds.org.uk) Gram Seed lay in a coma on life support. Years of abusive living had taken their toll on his body and mind. Christians who had befriended Gram prayed for his recovery. He was healed and went on to commit his life to following Jesus Christ. But what happened next? When we first told Gram’s dramatic story, we described him as ‘a giant of a man with a heart to match’ for at 6 ft 6 inches, tattooed and scarred he is indeed larger than life. Gram’s autobiography One Step Beyond has been influential in changing many lives. His new book It must be love picks up the story as he recalls with honesty and humour how far he has come and looks forward to the opportunities of his growing ministry Sowing Seeds. (www.sowingseeds.org.uk) Gram grew up not knowing the love a father leading him to become a rejected, confused and angry young man. He became a violent football hooligan, burglar, thief and alcoholic. He spent many of his early adult years in prison. After living rough on the streets for three years, he collapsed, ending up on life support, not expected to live. ‘Because I wasn’t eating and drinking I collapsed into a coma. I was diagnosed as having septicaemia. ‘My mam was advised to switch off the machine which kept me alive. There was no hope for me.’ But there was hope for Gram in the prayers of a group of Christians who had befriended him on the streets. They came to the hospital and prayed for his recovery. Gram woke up and started breathing for himself. His illnesses and his addictions were healed. Gram was at first unwilling to consider Christianity. ‘I didn’t want to become a Christian but I wondered what Jesus wanted with a scum-bag like me. I thought he was only interested in nice people, people who went to church and had nice jobs and stuff like that.’ Gram attended an Alpha course, an introduction to the Christian faith, but he was still sceptical. But as the course progressed, he had a change of heart. On the 9th November 1996, Gram asked Jesus to take control of his life. ‘I held my hands up and I said, “Jesus if you’re real, come into my life and set me free”. And He did. ‘I finally accepted that someone truly loved me and believed in me. I cried real, heartfelt tears of happiness for the first time.’ When he held his own first-born son Caleb four years later, Gram cried more tears. Gram has dedicated his life to sharing that love with others – especially lads who have, like him, been in prison. ‘I want to show them the realness and freedom that Jesus Christ can give you. There is hope for everyone. If Jesus can forgive me, he can forgive anyone.’ ‘From the moment I became a Christian I was out on the streets and telling everyone who would listen that Jesus loved them.’ It hasn’t been easy though for Gram. For a long time Gram was a ‘one man band’ until he gathered a team of co-workers and volunteers to form Sowing Seeds Ministries. With funding from the likes of Stagecoach owner Brian Souter and former car dealership owner Sir Peter Vardy, Gram has taken his message of hope into prisons and young offenders’ institutions in the North East and Yorkshire. Though he certainly has the gift of the gab, Gram is sometimes lost for words when faced with particularly difficult situations. ‘It’s at moments like these the Lord gives me exactly the right words,’ he says. ‘It’s amazing – the Creator of the world chooses to speak to you and use you, even if some people think you’re a bit wacky!’ Gram would be the first to admit that he doesn’t always get things right. ‘At the end of the day,’ he says, ‘despite mistakes made, Sowing Seeds continues to be about one thing: love in action. It’s not just about saying the right words, but reaching out to those with broken lives; building up friendships, offering support, helping to show those going down the wrong path that in Jesus there is a better way. ‘This action has to come from the heart, from a genuine concern, because if you aren’t sincere, people will soon notice.’ One Step Beyond has been sent to over 100 prisons in the UK and Gram regularly receives letter from prisoners who have been moved by his story. One young man, a heroin addict, read the book and on his release from HMP Risley, went to hear Gram speak at a meeting. ‘“I went to the chapel in Risley, gave my life to Jesus and I’m striving to be like you, Gram,” he said. “Remember, it’s Jesus, not Gram Seed, who makes the difference,” I told him.’ Gram may be big but he knows who is boss. And God hasn’t finished with him yet. Gram’s Christian Charity Sowing Seeds Ministry has three main aims: 1. To bring hope to young people in trouble with the law and help them find faith. 2. By helping them, to reduce crime. 3. Provide help and support for the families of young people in prison. They also suffer www.sowingseeds.org.uk If Gram’s story has inspired you to make the same commitment to Jesus Christ and become a Christian you could pray the prayer below:  Father God I know that all I have done wrong has separated me from You and I’m sorry. I believe in what Jesus did for me on the cross. I want to be Your child. I receive Your forgiveness for all my sins and I accept You as my Lord and my Saviour. Please come into my life right now. I want to follow You. Thank You, Lord. If you have prayed this prayer, or if you want to know more about the Christian faith, you could contact the person who gave you this paper or fill in the coupon on page 8 from the Christian Enquiry Agency. It must be love is published by CWR (www.cwr.org.uk) and brings Gram Seed’s story up to date. It also features the stories of team members and moving letters from prisoners whose lives have been transformed. ‘My liver packed in. I had pneumonia, hypothermia, severe malnutrition, severe dehydration and my kidneys failed. Apart from that I was OK! |
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