Near-death experience and 'wilderness journey' led Christian actor back into God's arms

Christian actors are rare gems in the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. As rare as they are, actor Kristoffer Polaha, one of the stars on the upcoming film "Where Hope Grows," shared some of his odd life experiences that led him back to Jesus Christ. With a couple of extraordinary moments during his six-year "wilderness journey," to the terrifying yet odd life-altering event, the actor shared his life-long relationship with God through a podcast with The Church Boys.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "I always grew up with a real sense of God," described Polaha of his younger years, which eventually changed during his junior year in high school. The then aspiring actor prayed to God about the path he wanted to try.

"'Lord, I want to know if this is you acting in my life or if this is me. And I'm just not going to pray for six months... And I took this sabbatical from praying, which ended up being this six-year journey of it being, I call it my 'wilderness journey,' just kind of lost in the wilderness." Polaha then talked about his journey across nations, trying out other religions like Buddhism and Judaism, but he recalls God always made a way for him to remember.

The thing that caused him to totally turn back his path is a scary yet miraculous, near-death experience, which Polaha describes as he was supposed to be gone "technically."

While strolling down the 9th Avenue in New York City with a friend named Catherine, he suddenly felt the need to switch places with her for no apparent reason. "A block later, we heard this ticking sound. And I looked down, and the grates to the sidewalk blew open and we were engulfed in a fireball. The fireball went back into the thing, and hissed out and blew out the storefront window and we were showered with glass."

Fortunately, he was wearing a thick jacket that protected him and Catherine, who was just donning a t-shirt, a windbreaker and jeans.

They were in a place where they felt someone picked them up and put them down. It was typically a busy street but at that time the red light was on.

Polaha explained that the fire marshal said they miraculously survived with no decapitating injuries, causing Polaha to feel all the more blessed.

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