001 - Darkness to Light
In this episode, host Donald Kelly talks to Keith Diaferia about his transformation from Darkness to Light.
-Keith was compelled to darkness through drugs, alcohol, and the nightlife. Even the people closest to him didn’t truly know who he was.
-As he grew up in Chicago, he became affiliated with a gang, and this was a secret as well. He had what he calls “the dark people” and his family.
-Keith acknowledges he chose to ignore the guidance of his parents and siblings. He knew all too well what it meant to be “the black sheep” of the family. While they thought he was just a “mixed-up kid,” Keith says he was becoming a monster through the relationships that seemed to be taking over his life.
-When Keith was 14 he had the desire to be part of a dark lifestyle and yet he felt the presence of Christ in his life. He just didn’t know what to do with it.
-Even as Keith was getting ready to do something unsavory he would feel the spirit of Christ trying to intervene but when he mentioned it, those around him would admonish him with, “Why are you trying to ruin the moment?”
-By day, Keith had his “normal” life and would leave to transform from the evening till the early hours of the morning. During this time, he would often come back with a broken nose or a black eye. He was a street fighter and fought to be the ultimate fighter. This then transitioned into Keith becoming a money collector that had been gained from drugs. He would live out this secret life between the ages of 14 and 20.
-Keith is covered in tattoos and through these coverings, he wanted to portray intimidation, convey his attitude, he demanded respect and it showed the darkness that was inside him. He acknowledges, however, that he earned respect through fear and not from kindness. Keith’s reputation grew as an enforcer.
-Keith is now 62 and around the age of 40, he started to feel bad and was tired of waking up not knowing if an enemy would finally get him. He’d been shot seven times, stabbed four times, beaten countless times, and almost died 3 times from anaphylactic reactions to medication.
-When he was 40, God touched Keith’s heart and he decided to leave the life, even if he wasn’t sure how. He just knew he had to change. He walked away from wealth, relationships, access to what he wanted, and material possessions to move toward the love that God had for him.
-Keith had endured a lot to get in and out of the darkness. It was called a beat-in and beat-out. To get in, he endured a beating for 3 minutes from the chin to the waist, without defending himself, by 80 members of the chapter. He would have to endure the same again if he was to leave. When it was all done, he had 3 broken ribs, a punctured lung, a lacerated kidney, lacerated liver, internal bleeding, a broken hip when someone hit too low, and his sternum was cracked in half. He was in the hospital for four weeks.
-Since then, Keith has been approached twice to come back to the life and his life has been threatened for not doing so. Both times, however, he let them know that he wasn’t turning his back on God, not after so much recovery. They know he will never serve Satan again. Because of the code the gang lives by, Keith has earned their respect with his loyalty to God. Even with his life threatened, he remained loyal to his renewed faith and new life.
-Keith was able to come back to church when two sisters approached him after Holy Spirit directed their steps back to him, even when they were scared to initially approach him. That would be the beginning of him becoming the man he is today. Keith is still working through decades of living in darkness but every day he is amazed about the love that God has shown him and his heart has been softened. This hardened man can cry now and even friends from Chicago are seeing the difference.
-Keith would say he wrote the book on evil so for the people who think they are unworthy of God, he would say this: God loves all his children. Everyone is worthy of this love, worthy of change, and worthy of the blessing God has for each of us. Have faith, discipline, and love to see true change. That’s how Keith did it.
MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle
(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
