Eric Schwaab was 17 when he was arrested for the death of his best friend Josh you know he'd blame myself for everything and I just I would have done anything to make it right the two were always hanging out they especially liked playing together on their high school basketball team Josh was extremely gifted he was much better than I was but he always pushed me he was just a fun-loving guy he he didn't care what people thought about him on a Friday night in September 1998 Eric was giving Josh a ride home when a girl
they knew passed them on a two-lane road remember Josh looking at me and goes that you're gonna let her do that to you I got alongside of her and I looked over I noticed out of corn in my eye there the headlights of a truck coming up the hill [Music] they looked over at Josh and I said are you okay and he looks at me and goes yeah I'm gonna be fine the next thing I know I woke up in the ambulance at that point is when I started their prey which I've never done before
Eric was taken to the hospital with a concussion and a number of cuts and bruises Eric asked his nurse about Josh she had tears in her eyes I knew at that point he never made it and I blamed God from probably maybe an hour and a half after the accident why me why now you're supposed to be there to protect us Eric also blamed himself and couldn't understand how anyone could forgive him the first people to the hospital were his love and his grandma he came in there and they were crying they've already forgiven me
I didn't know what that meant at that point days later they buried his friend Eric was arrested for negligent homicide released to his parents he spent the next eight months in and out of court during one appearance his friend's mother read a letter to the court on Eric's behalf and in my mind I'm thinking why are you doing this I don't deserve this and he deserved to go to jail Eric was only given four years probation with community service but memories of Josh dominated his thoughts I went to drinking I went to smokin marijuana just
to forget about all of it and remember sitting there with one of my stepdads guns and just sat there and thought about all the people I hurt the problems I've caused the past that was on the drinking the drugs for what I don't need to be here anymore I just never could do it over the next 16 years Eric continued to struggle with guilt and depression the drugs and alcohol didn't fill the void left by his friend on occasion he would visit Josh's grave but on a graveside visit in October 2014 Eric's thoughts turned elsewhere
I just sat there and just started praying and just asking God if there's anything left for me to do here on this earth just point me in the right direction Eric started reading the Bible and going to church as he did he discovered an important truth but I found out that there was people in the Bible it weren't perfect that did bad things Jesus forgave Eric asked for and accepted God's forgiveness it was just such a surreal moment of just I gave it all up everything and when I truly repented and I gave up everything
the drinking the drugs was gone I know what that void is a void was Jesus Boyd was Christ he also felt the weight of Josh's death was finally lifted there was a sense of hope others have forgiven me for what I've done already that I didn't know everything changed the way I thought the way I felt the way I started to see things just clear in 2015 Eric married Michelle and today they have a beautiful daughter he's thankful for the freedom of forgiveness he now has through Jesus Christ it's a feeling of just peace to
know that he is our Savior and to wake up every morning with forgiveness from Jesus and thank him every day for that forgiveness that's all you need
