Watermark Blogs

TRAVIS RUDOLPH: My friend, Curtis Childers and I grew up together in Glen Rose, TX. Curtis is five years older than me and one of the most gifted and charismatic people I know. We both went to Texas A&M and later roomed together in Los Angeles. He seemed to have the world at his fingertips at a time when I was trying to figure out where I was GOING.
I walked away from my faith after trusting Christ at 12 years old. My childhood was rocky after my parents’ divorce, and I was never  taught what following Christ was about. I started drinking at an early age and continued partying until I was a sophomore in college. Finally, two guys at school took me aside and helped me see that what I needed was a real relationship with Christ. God led me to a Bible study and a local church, and I began walking with Christ consistently after that.
It was about this time that I learned that Curtis had a serious addiction to drugs, and I began to pray for him. Several years later, God brought me to Watermark and reconnected me with an old friend, Tim Slaughter, who also was concerned about Curtis.

TIM SLAUGHTER: I met both Travis and Curtis in college. I was very far away from the Lord at that point. I experimented with drugs throughout college, and Curtis was often right there with me. When Curtis began hiding his drug use from me, I knew his addiction was serious.
After college, Curtis and I took different paths. As I moved into the working world and toward marriage, I began to desire something spiritual in my life. I sat in the back rows of churches for about five years and finally trusted Jesus in 2006. Travis and I reconnected and began encouraging each other and praying for an opportunity to reach out to Curtis.

PRAYING FOR CURTIS
TRAVIS: Curtis sadly remained in the abyss of addiction. He was working a series of six-figure jobs by day and immersed in the Los Angeles party scene at night. We tried everything to reach out to Curtis, but nothing we did or said helped. We prayed consistently that God would get Curtis’ attention before he killed himself or someone else.
TIM: I was on the phone with his mother on June 24, 2008 when she found out that, while on a binge, Curtis had fallen out of a four-story hotel room and suffered a massive brain injury. He was in a coma, and doctors were not
sure that he would recover.

We asked people at Watermark to pray for Curtis. As news of his story spread, people around the world prayed as well, which was a tremendous encouragement to Curtis’ family. Travis specifically prayed for an opportunity to share the Gospel with Curtis, and that he would be able to hear and trust Christ. I prayed that God would use the accident to take away Curtis’ desire for drugs and self-destruction.

It was a privilege to have a front-row seat and see what God did next. Curtis eventually came out of the coma. The Lord protected Curtis through a series of surgeries, as well as rehab and outpatient treatment. Although Curtis had miles to go as he recovered, God’s work was evident. There were answered prayers all around us, and more to come.
Amazed •

TRAVIS: I continued to be amazed by God’s work, and hopeful that Curtis would turn to Christ. Curtis moved from a hospital rehab center to a home in Waco where he had people to take care of him. Although he struggled with pain and memory loss, the progress was remarkable, and his desire for drugs seemed to be a distant memory.

Last February, Curtis and I were in the car together, and he talked to me about some of the challenges in his life. I shared how Christ had worked in my life, and that I had prayed for three very specific things for Curtis after his accident; that he would live, that he’d no longer be seduced by substance addictions, and that I would have another chance to share Christ with him. I told him that God had answered the first two, and He was answering the third prayer right then! I could see the walls begin to come down in Curtis’ heart. We talked about the purpose God had for Curtis’ life, and he trusted Christ right there on the shoulder of I35. After 10 years of prayer from feeble believers like me, it was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

TIM: I was amazed when Curtis walked into Watermark with us a few weeks after accepting Christ. As our friends were introduced to Curtis, you’d hear one after another say, “I’ve been praying for you.” It was remarkable to see how God uses prayer to make His name famous and to make our personal stories of redemption so much bigger than ourselves. As Travis and I tried one worldly thing after another to help Curtis, I can remember thinking, “Well all I can do now is just pray for you.” Now I see that prayer is doing something. God has been at work, and praying consistently has allowed me to see some of His answers.”

TRAVIS: Curtis’ story has convinced me that nobody is ever too far-gone. Isaiah 59:1 says “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear to dull to hear.” I don’t know why God spares some people and not others. And I don’t know why answers to some prayers become evident and others remain unclear. But I do know now that the Lord hears our prayers. He loves us and wants a relationship with each one of us. That’s encouraged me to pray for people over the long haul. I feel like I know God a little better just by praying for Curtis and watching Him work.