The Night He Raised Both Hands: A Testimony of Redemption After Trauma and Addiction
How God met a broken young man in a small California town and rewrote his entire story.
If you ever look back at your life and think, “Yeah… there’s no way God can use this mess?” Think again.
Chris Antonelli used to think the same thing. Actually, he was pretty convinced his story was one long list of bad chapters held together by duct tape, poor decisions, and a pet rat named Merlin. But Jesus keeps showing up in places we’re sure He wouldn’t—like truck beds, church basements, and moments when both hands accidentally go up during an altar call.
Related Articles
The Boy Who Lost Everything
He didn’t start as a pastor or a tech leader. Nothing in his early story hinted at anything like that. He started as a confused kid from a small coastal town in California, growing up in a farming family that owned a wholesale and retail nursery.
From the outside? Ordinary. Maybe even ideal.
On the inside? Chaos.
His dad drank heavily in those early years, worn thin by pressure and long days. Around fifth grade, his dad decided to get sober. Not long after, his mom slipped into deep depression, attempting to take her life multiple times… until one day, when he was in junior high, she succeeded.
He stood at her funeral—just a kid—staring at her casket, hearing people say things like, “She’s in a better place.”
But none of those words touched his pain.
With no one to guide him through grief, he ran from it. Drinking, drugs, anything to numb the ache. High school turned into a long blur of distraction. Eventually, he landed in continuation school where the message was basically, “Graduate… if you want.”
He pushed himself enough to graduate early. But life didn’t get easier. Right after high school, his dad remarried and told him he had two weeks to move out.
Two weeks.
No money.
No plan.
He ended up living in his truck.
Some nights he crashed on friends’ couches. Some nights in the truck bed. He even had a pet rat named Merlin living with him. It sounds wild now. Back then, it was just survival.
He remembers lying in the dark, tears rolling, wondering if anything would ever change.
But God had already planted a seed.
When Grace Walked Into the Room
As a teenager, he had gone to church with a friend. Even prayed at a church camp one night around a bonfire, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. But without discipleship or support, he slipped right back into chaos. That decision got buried under years of noise.
In his early twenties, he worked a decent job, lived with friends, and partied constantly. Every paycheck evaporated into alcohol, weed, and weekends he barely remembered.
One friend kept inviting him to church. He said yes often—but always found excuses not to go. Eventually the excuses dried up, and he ended up at a small-group Bible study. He was so nervous he showed up high.
He walked in stoned and philosophical, dropping lines like, “Maybe we’re just an experiment on a giant’s fingernail.” Anyone else might’ve laughed, judged, or shut him down.
But this group didn’t.
They let the comment float by and kept treating him with kindness. That unexpected grace cracked something open inside him—something arguments never could.
A few days later he went to church—again, high—but this time something felt different. Something sober. Heavy. Real.
At the end of the message, the pastor said, “If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, raise your hand.”
He thought the pastor said hands… so he raised both.
Two hands in the air.
Two hands in surrender.
That moment wasn’t just a repeat of a camp prayer. It was a turning point.
It was everything inside him quietly saying,
“Lord, I’m done running. If You want me, I’m Yours.”
A Life Rewritten by God
The change didn’t happen overnight. Old habits still tugged at him. Healing took time. But that moment of surrender—hands raised high—shifted the entire direction of his life.
Over more than 30 years, God rebuilt him from the inside out:
A career in tech he never expected.
Over 20 years in pastoral ministry—associate pastor, church planter, worship pastor.
Nearly 27 years married to his best friend.
Two daughters now in college.
Grace through the darkest valleys and the brightest days.
When he looks back now—at the grieving boy, the drifting teenager, the young man sleeping in a truck with Merlin the rat, the guy rambling philosophically in a Bible study—he doesn’t see a wasted life.
He sees redemption.
Because Jesus stepped into the brokenness…
and he finally lifted his hands and said yes.
And he’s still saying yes.
Christian Hotline & Prayer Support
If you’re struggling or need someone to pray with you, please reach out.
National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
Focus on the Family Prayer Line: 1-877-771-4357
The 700 Club Prayer Line: 1-800-700-7000
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: 1-888-388-2683
Chatnow (24/7 Christian Chat & Prayer):
https://chatnow.org
You are not alone. Someone is ready to listen and pray with you right now.
Call to Repentance
If you’ve been trying to earn your way into heaven, it’s time to stop striving and start surrendering. Today can be the day everything changes. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Don’t wait for a better moment. Turn from your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and receive the gift of eternal life. He is calling—respond to Him today.
Call to Action
If this message spoke to your heart, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with someone you love—and make sure to subscribe so you never miss more biblical truth, encouragement, and hope. Let’s walk this journey of faith together.
 | A guest post by
|
Great story. Salvation is the greatest gift!