“June 5, 1987 — The Day Grace Found Me”

Daniel Immel
Oct 27
3 min read

By the time I turned 30, I was completely lost.Addiction had consumed every part of me — mind, body, and soul. I was angry, broken, and empty inside. I had pushed everyone who loved me away, and I couldn’t even look in the mirror without feeling disgusted by the man staring back.

I wasn’t living anymore. I was merely surviving — chasing a high I could never hold onto, trying to fill a hole that only grew deeper with every drink and every bad decision.

Then came June 4th, 1987 — the day everything came crashing down.That was the day of my arrest — the day the world I’d built on lies, pain, and addiction finally collapsed. I didn’t know it then, but that moment of destruction would become the beginning of my redemption.

The Day After the Darkness

On June 5th, 1987, sitting in a cold jail cell, I came face to face with the truth — and with God.I didn’t go looking for Him. I didn’t even believe He wanted anything to do with me. But somehow, in that broken, hopeless place, Christ showed up.

It wasn’t a lightning bolt moment or a loud voice from heaven — it was quieter than that. It was peace. It was the first sense of calm I’d felt in years.

That morning, I asked God to take my life — not in death, but in direction.And from that day forward, I have not used alcohol or drugs. Not once.Not because I’m strong — but because God is faithful.

The Long Road to Redemption

Sobriety didn’t happen overnight. It took work — and still does. It took honesty, humility, faith, and a willingness to let God do for me what I could never do for myself.

For the next 20 years, I walked that road behind the walls of Colorado State Prison.But those years weren’t wasted.God used that time to rebuild me from the inside out — teaching me patience, compassion, forgiveness, and purpose.

Behind those walls, I learned that true freedom has nothing to do with where you stand, but who stands with you.And Christ stood with me — every single day.

From Brokenness to Purpose

Today, I look back and see that every painful step had purpose. New Hope Enterprise has been in the making for 38 years — a reflection of everything God has taught me about hope, healing, and redemption.

I used to be angry with God.I used to ask, “Why me?”But today, I understand — it was for me. For my growth, my healing, and so that I could help others find their way back to hope.

Even in my youth, when I was confused and hurt, God never stopped loving me. He didn’t turn away from my brokenness — He met me there and began to build something new.

The Heart Behind New Hope Enterprise

Everything I do today — the counseling, the speaking, the writing — it all comes from that day of surrender in 1987. My book, Rising from the Ashes, and the companion journal that came with it, were born from that same grace.They are the living proof that no life is too far gone, no story too broken, and no past too dark for redemption.

New Hope Enterprise isn’t just a business — it’s a ministry. It’s the bridge between pain and purpose, a place where faith meets action, and where the hopeless can begin to heal.

A Message to You

If you’re struggling right now — if you feel trapped, angry, or lost — I want you to know something:God hasn’t forgotten you.He hasn’t turned His back.He’s waiting — patiently, lovingly — for you to let Him in.

Because when you do, you’ll discover the same truth I did all those years ago:Grace is greater than shame. Faith is stronger than fear.And hope can rise — even from the ashes.

✝️ “Together, we rise — one story of hope at a time.”

— Daniel Immel | New Hope Enterprise