There are moments in life when we must confront the darkest chapters of our past: not to dwell in shame, but to honor the transformation that brought us to where we stand today. Today, I want to share something deeply personal with you, a story that still humbles me every time I reflect on God’s incredible grace.
The Darkness Before the Dawn
It breaks my heart to admit this, but there was a time when violence defined my Friday nights. My closest friend Bill worked as a bodyguard for the leader of a notorious hate group, and I walked alongside him down a path that now seems unthinkable. Those Friday evenings, we’d cruise the streets with darkness in our hearts, actively seeking confrontation and conflict.
I can still picture it clearly: draping our Levi’s jackets over our left arms as we approached groups of people who were simply trying to enjoy their evening, maybe sharing drinks or playing basketball. We’d park our car and approach them swinging, ready for a fight. Looking back now, I understand what was really happening. My anger and violent behavior weren’t about strength or power: they were desperate attempts to fill a profound emptiness, to somehow ease the crushing loneliness and frustration that consumed my soul.
The Moment Everything Changed
But God… those two little words that changed everything. When I encountered Christ, my entire world shifted on its axis. Instead of seeking trouble and feeding on anger and violence, I found something I’d never experienced before: peace. Real, transformative peace that didn’t just calm my exterior but began healing the wounded places deep within my heart.
The transformation wasn’t instant: it was a process of learning to channel that same passion I’d once used for destruction into something beautiful and life-giving. Where I once sought to tear down, I now felt called to build up. Where I once inflicted pain, I now wanted to bring healing.
Building a Legacy of Life
Through God’s grace, I’ve been blessed to touch thousands of lives through various platforms: speaking engagements, concerts, recorded CDs, written books, my daily blog, and soon, a daily podcast. Each opportunity feels like a sacred trust, a chance to plant seeds of hope in hearts that might be struggling with their own darkness.
But my deepest calling has become helping families: especially our military heroes and their loved ones: achieve the dream of homeownership through the Hometown Hero Credit Program. There’s something profoundly moving about watching a family unlock their front door for the first time, knowing they’re not just entering a house, but stepping into their legacy. Our program offers up to 2% credit back, up to $21,000, specifically designed to help military families buy or refinance their homes because these heroes deserve every opportunity to build lasting foundations for their families.
Lessons from Unlikely Heroes
Two stories have particularly shaped my understanding of what it means to leave a legacy of life, and I carry their lessons with me daily.
First, there’s Oskar Schindler, a man whose story initially mirrors my own in some ways. During World War II in Krakow, Schindler was a Nazi Party member from Czechoslovakia who acquired a factory to produce enamelware, employing Jewish workers. He maintained relationships with the SS through bribes and favors: hardly the beginning of a hero’s tale.
But when Germany’s war effort began failing and Schindler was ordered to surrender his workers to be transferred to Auschwitz, something profound happened in his heart. Working with his administrator, Itzhak Stern, he created “Schindler’s List”: 850 people to be transferred to his new munitions plant in Burnitz.
What moves me most about Schindler’s story is that he spent his entire fortune trying to save as many Jewish lives as possible from the Nazi death camps. He ran out of money in 1945, just as Germany surrendered, and died penniless. His lifelong lament was that he couldn’t save more people. While he may have started with selfish intentions, Schindler allowed God to enlighten his heart and mind, showing him the true meaning of discipleship. He opened his heart to others and showed his love for God through how he treated his brothers and sisters. Schindler left behind a legacy of life.
Then there’s the Apostle Paul, whose final recorded words continue to inspire me: “The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul’s entire life became about sharing the good news of Jesus, and even in his final moments, he urged Timothy to do the same. His passion for Christ and His word never wavered. Paul, too, left behind a legacy of life.
The Power of Redemption
What strikes me about both these men: and what gives me such hope in my own journey: is that none of us started perfect. Schindler was initially motivated by profit and political favor. Paul persecuted Christians before his dramatic conversion. And I spent my Friday nights looking for fights instead of looking for ways to serve.
Yet each of us found redemption. Each of us discovered that our past didn’t have to define our future. More importantly, we learned that our greatest struggles could become our most powerful tools for helping others.
Continuing the Mission
Today, as the National Director and Founder of the Hometown Hero Credit Program, I wake up every morning knowing that I have the privilege of helping families build their own legacies. Every military family we help secure a home, every family that benefits from our 2% credit program up to $21,000: they’re all part of a larger story of redemption and hope.
When I speak with these families, I often see something familiar in their eyes. Sometimes it’s weariness from deployment, sometimes it’s uncertainty about the future, and sometimes it’s simply the weight of responsibility they carry for their loved ones. I recognize these looks because I understand what it means to carry burdens, to feel lost, to wonder if better days are possible.
But I also get to witness the transformation that happens when hope becomes reality: when a family realizes they can actually afford that home, when they understand that their service is valued and honored, when they step through the door of their own place and know they’re building something lasting for their children and grandchildren.
What Legacy Will You Leave?
As I reflect on this journey from violence to purpose, from destruction to building up, I’m filled with gratitude for God’s incredible grace. The boy who once sought fights on Friday nights never could have imagined he’d spend his days helping heroes achieve their dreams of homeownership.
It’s fascinating to consider how unique each of our journeys truly is. Schindler and Paul have already left their lasting legacies behind, and I continue building mine each day through the families we serve, the lives we touch, and the hope we help create.
The beautiful truth is that you’re building your legacy right now, too. Every act of kindness, every moment of service, every time you choose hope over despair: you’re creating ripples that will extend far beyond what you can see.
Today, I want to ask you the same question that drives me forward every morning: If you were to leave this world today, what legacy would you leave behind for others to follow? What story would your life tell? What lives would be different because you walked this earth?
Your legacy doesn’t have to start with perfection: mine certainly didn’t. It starts with a single decision to let love win, to choose building up over tearing down, to believe that your story isn’t over yet.
Brett Stacy is the National Director and Founder of the Hometown Hero Credit Program at Hometown Hero Credit. If you’re a military family looking to buy or refinance your home, we’re here to help you achieve your homeownership dreams. Call us at +1(760)456-8748 or visit us at hometownherocredit.com to learn more about our program offering up to 2% credit back, up to $21,000, specifically designed for our military heroes.
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