The Lord took him from a life of crime and gave him grace and favour to bring the Kingdom of light into a whole new arena. This is his story………
I grew up in a very strict religious home that imbedded a disdain for church and religion. Three times a week in church and the cold atmosphere at home, drove me away from the church and then at 16, I left my hometown and moved to Calgary, Alberta. Introductions and circumstances led me to become connected to an influential criminal organisation. I spent the next five years there and excelled in my environment. Crime, drugs, prostitution, deaths and jail. All leading me to the realisation I needed a significant course correction in my life.
I moved to Winnipeg, but struggled to change my lifestyle, I didn't know another way to live. One night I was introduced to a man named Garry Stratychuck, a spirit filled believer who explained the gospel to me in a very simple way. He asked me why I wouldn’t want to know the creator who loved me the way that I was and wasn’t asking me to change, but was just asking to have a relationship. He said if God wanted me to change, he would let me know. Something very powerful happened that night, as I fell to the floor, a weeping mess, and gave my life to Christ.
I became the first Christian alcoholic, dope smoking pimp in my area ..... That usually messes with good religious people's theology! I truly think God protected me from the religious environment, as I wouldn’t have lasted long with a repeat of my childhood. The man that led me to the Lord has walked alongside me for over 30 years and is the one that introduced me to the new covenant and grace as a person not a doctrine. He is my best friend, my David and Jonathan relationship.
I studied grace for a number of years and truly came to the conclusion that my father is always for me, everything is his and I am co-heir with Christ...the goodness and abundance of God is my inheritance. He has led me faithfully to success in marriage, raising a family, starting and running a successful business and now success in the sporting arena.
I began riding horses when my daughter was young. I wanted to do something with her and help her through her teenage years. So we got involved in a sport called Team Penning and travelled and competed together. Going to the Canadian nationals as well as the Calgary Stampede.
I’ve never prayed and asked God to help me win. I always prayed and asked for clarity of mind, harmony with my horses, harmony with my teammates, etc. We had success together, winning many buckles, provincial championships etc. The highlight of her career was when she won the Canadian national as a youth. As she got older, she pursued other interests, but I got deeper into it and began taking it more seriously. I travelled to more and more lessons, thirsty for understanding the human and the horse relationship.
In 2018 I finally found success at the Calgary Stampede finishing reserve champion. Attempting to win at high-level was a real challenge, especially as I hadn’t grown up in the horse/farm atmosphere. I went back to the Calgary Stampede the following years, always finishing in the top 10. Then in 2022, I was in the finals of the two most competitive classes, the 14 class and the open class. The first day of the finals competition was the 14 class and we won it! The next day was the open class.
I got up in the morning and got the horses fed and ready. I took my truck and sat out behind the barn facing the mountains in Calgary. I remember reading the 23rd Psalm and having an overwhelming burning desire to win. The understanding of that passage caused significant faith to rise up in me I remember, sitting with tears rolling down my face, saying these words " God I have never asked you before to help me win, But I wanna win so badly today .... please help me win."
Just recently, my mother passed away. Six months before her passing, the Lord had put it on my heart to go up and visit with her and ask for her forgiveness for the pain I caused her as a child by leaving home so early and abandoning the relationship. I did have a good relationship with her, but I had never addressed the pain I had brought to her and our family. It was incredible, we cried together, prayed together and had deep healing, forgiveness and restoration. Her at 82 and me at 54 years old. I reached out to my living siblings and asked for their forgiveness also. Six months later she passed away from complications due to a stroke
I was surprised after the funeral to find out she had left us some inheritance. I announced to my family that I was going to take that money and buy a horse. Name it after my mom and go to the biggest show I could and win it in honour of our mom. In front of 20,000 people, the Holy Spirit and I won the Denver Stock Show on the new horse named Betty Mae in honour of my mom.
This past Thanksgiving, the leadership of the Canadian Nationals competition asked me to open every day with a word of prayer and to sing the Canadian national anthem, which I proudly did. Welcoming Jesus and boldly thanking him every day in front of my peers. The same committee also asked me to come on board and made me the spokesperson for the organisation. This has opened the door to a very good relationship with the world champion in the USA that I have been working with and walking through a divorce situation.
Also, through my participation in this sport, one of the most significant and wealthiest gentlemen in Alberta, who is also part of the equine community contacted me and asked me a few questions about my life a few years back. We began a relationship through that, as he saw me as different. Last year he reached out and in the midst of a significant marriage/family conflict asked about my faith and I was able to lead him to the Lord. We are quite close today and speak weekly and often connect in person.
Through my willingness to stand apart, I’ve been able to witness and testify about the goodness of God. Because of the favour of the Lord in my life, he has allowed me influence in this sporting arena.
All but by the grace of God.
Darcy Brown
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