Josiah Schubring – From Broken to New Creation
My name is Josiah Schubring, and I was raised in the suburbs of Chicago in a strong Christian home. My parents were devoted believers, and my grandfather was a minister. From an early age, people told me I had a calling on my life — one I could never outrun.
But I gave it everything I had trying to.
My relationship with God growing up was conflicted. I knew the truth, I was surrounded by it, but something inside me always resisted. I went to a private Christian school until sixth grade — that is, until they asked my mom to withdraw me. I was “too much of a class clown” and a “distraction to others.” They didn’t expel me — they just didn’t want me back. I thought it was hilarious. My mom didn’t.
We weren’t a wealthy family, and tuition was a sacrifice. So I transferred to public school — and that’s where my rebellion really started. I loved the freedom and chaos. By seventh grade, I was experimenting with weed and pushing every boundary I could find. I had just enough knowledge of God to know I was running — and I liked it.
By the time I hit high school, the party lifestyle had already begun. Freshman and sophomore year marked the beginning of what I now call “my party years.” I was trying anything and everything — not just one drug, but whatever I could get my hands on. I wasn’t just curious. I was chasing something to numb the growing emptiness inside.
And yet, even then, God never stopped pursuing me.
Every summer, our church attended a camp in Kansas City. I’d been before, but one year in particular changed everything. The Holy Spirit moved — and I was filled. I spoke in tongues for the first time and felt God confirm His calling over my life. I left that camp with a renewed sense of purpose. But I didn’t yet realize how much breaking had to happen before true surrender.
My junior and senior years were a turnaround. I thrived in sports, caught up academically, and graduated early with extra credits. I went straight to Bible college, eager to chase the calling I had once felt so clearly.
But life quickly got harder.
I started experiencing severe back pain from years of sports. Doctors diagnosed a bulging disc and prescribed painkillers. They recommended physical therapy — but I never followed through. I just took the pills. And when I took a little more than prescribed one day, everything numbed. Not just the pain — the emotional weight too. That became my escape.
At the same time, I started noticing inconsistencies in the lives of people I looked up to. Some of the “men of God” around me didn’t walk the talk. Then one of my professors asked me if I had ever considered a different career path — and something in me just gave up. I dropped out of school, got a job in hardwood flooring, and moved in with old high school friends.
That was the beginning of what nearly became the end.
We partied constantly. I loved cooking, and one night a friend brought a professional chef who encouraged me to go to culinary school. So I did. I enrolled, started working in kitchens, and found that restaurant life fit my addiction perfectly. Work hard, party harder. My drug use escalated. Painkillers turned to stronger opiates. Then to injecting. Eventually, heroin.
Over the years, my life spiraled. I stopped showing up to work, couldn’t pay rent, and couch-hopped just to survive. My parents watched helplessly — always praying, always pleading with God.
Then came rock bottom.
I was arrested for stealing. Spent a few days in jail. Posted bail. And within hours, I was using again. That dose nearly killed me. I overdosed. My heart stopped. I died. A friend tried everything to revive me — slapping, punching, panicking. Finally, he prayed. And God brought me back. I vomited and stumbled away. But even then, I kept using.
A few days later, I missed court and ended up in Cook County Jail — detoxing, fighting, desperate. I cried out to God because I had nowhere else to look but up.
My mom had heard about Teen Challenge and asked my lawyer to look into it. Turns out, my lawyer just “happened” to be in a running club with the Executive Director of Teen Challenge Chicago. God doesn’t do coincidence — only divine appointments. The judge agreed to send me to Teen Challenge instead of prison.
I didn’t know what I was walking into, but I knew it was grace.
Teen Challenge was the hardest thing I’d ever done. I didn’t get it at first. I even got kicked out after six weeks. But because I was court-mandated, the director gave me another chance. That second chance saved my life.
God began the real work — breaking, rebuilding, restoring.
I graduated the program, became an intern, and started serving full-time at the church Teen Challenge attended. I’ve now worked for that church for over six years and still gladly serve there today.
I’m now Program Director of Teen Challenge Chicago — working faithfully in the same ministry that helped save my life. I’ve embraced my calling to help others overcome life-controlling issues through the power of God’s Word and His love.
I’ve been clean for nearly five years. I’m married to an amazing woman I met at church. And every day, I get to use my story to help others discover freedom.
This isn’t just my past — it’s my platform. And I thank God every day that He never stopped chasing me, even when I was running in the opposite direction.