For most of his life, Jim Woodforde believed success could be measured in numbers—bank accounts, property deals, and the ability to provide anything money could buy.

Known by friends and colleagues as “Diamond Jim,” he was a driven, self-made businessman whose ambition fueled both his rise and, ultimately, his undoing.

He took pride in solving problems, overcoming obstacles, and building a life of comfort and security for his family.

To him, material success was not only proof of achievement but also an expression of love.

Yet beneath the polished surface of wealth and confidence, a quiet fracture was forming.

Jim’s relentless focus on financial success gradually distanced him from his family, especially from his wife, Lorraine.

While Jim chased prosperity, Lorraine prayed for something she believed money could never provide—a change of heart.

A committed Christian, she longed for her husband to discover faith, humility, and purpose beyond materialism.

For years, her prayers seemed unanswered.

As time passed, Jim’s success brought less satisfaction than he expected.

Despite his accomplishments, an unsettling emptiness crept into his life.

In the silence of the night, he found himself asking a question that unsettled him deeply: was this all there was? The wealth, the possessions, the recognition—none of it eased the growing sense that something essential was missing.

At the age of 61, Jim’s life changed abruptly.

He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare and serious neurological disorder that attacks the nervous system.

The disease left him in constant, excruciating pain—described as an unrelenting electrical current surging through his body—while also robbing him of mobility.

For years, he relied heavily on prescription medication to manage the pain, but relief never truly came.

Instead, the suffering hardened him.

His frustration grew into anger, and bitterness replaced the confidence he once displayed so easily.

Despite his condition, Jim refused to turn inward or upward for help.

He did not pray, question his beliefs, or seek spiritual comfort.

His pride remained intact, even as his body deteriorated.

The idea of surrender—whether to illness or to God—was something he resisted fiercely.

Meanwhile, Lorraine continued to pray.

Over time, her prayers grew more desperate.

She watched the man she loved become increasingly consumed by pain, resentment, and emotional distance.

In a moment of exhaustion and surrender, she prayed not just for change, but for transformation—asking God to break Jim if that was what it took to remake him.

Almost immediately, she feared the weight of her words.

In April 2014, Jim suffered a catastrophic medical emergency.

After taking a dangerously high dose of medication, he drove to inspect a field he planned to sell.

While sitting alone in his truck, he experienced a sudden and terrifying physical collapse.

A burning sensation spread through his legs, his breathing became labored, and he felt as though he were drowning.

In a moment of sheer panic and desperation, Jim cried out for forgiveness—something he had never done before.

When Jim failed to return home, Lorraine contacted authorities.

He was found unconscious in his truck and rushed to the hospital.

Doctors worked urgently to stabilize him, but the prognosis was grim.

His organs had shut down, and scans showed no detectable brain activity.

He was placed on full life support.

Medical staff told Lorraine there was no hope of recovery.

As friends and family gathered, Lorraine prepared herself for the loss she believed was inevitable.

Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, she wondered whether her prayer had gone too far.

Yet even in despair, she continued to pray—this time for mercy.

What no one in the hospital room knew was that Jim, though unresponsive, was experiencing something he later described as more real than anything he had ever known.

He believed he had entered another realm—one marked by stark contrast.

On one side, he saw a breathtaking landscape filled with light, beauty, and peace.

On the other, a dark and terrifying presence radiated hatred and despair.

Overcome with fear, Jim turned toward the light and cried out for help.

According to his account, he was met by angelic beings who guided him into a place of overwhelming peace.

There, he encountered Jesus Christ.

In that moment, Jim believed he was confronted not with condemnation, but with a question that pierced him deeply: what had he done with the life he had been given? Faced with the totality of his choices, Jim felt exposed yet completely known.

What struck him most was not judgment, but love—dense, forgiving, and unconditional.

That encounter, Jim later said, transformed him entirely.

He believed he surrendered his life in that moment, accepting a love he had neither earned nor expected.

Though he wanted to remain in that place, he felt he was told to return—to share what he had seen and experienced.

Back in the hospital, Jim suddenly regained consciousness.

He awoke screaming, startling nurses and doctors who had believed him brain-dead only moments earlier.

Lorraine was called into the room, bracing herself for the worst.

Instead, she was met with her husband—alive, alert, and profoundly changed.

His first words were not about pain or fear, but about having seen Jesus.

Against all medical expectations, Jim recovered.

While traces of Guillain-Barré syndrome remained, the chronic pain that had tormented him for years was gone.

More striking than his physical healing, however, was the change in his character.

The anger, arrogance, and obsession with wealth faded, replaced by humility, gentleness, and compassion.

Lorraine recognized that her prayer had been answered—but not in the way she had imagined.

Jim had been broken, but he had also been remade.

Today, Jim devotes his life to sharing his story.

He speaks openly about suffering, pride, and surrender, urging others to open their hearts even in their deepest pain.

He no longer measures success by possessions or status, but by faith and purpose.

His message is simple: transformation begins when a person is willing to let go.

For Jim Woodforde, the man once known as “Diamond Jim,” the greatest treasure he ever found was not something he could buy or build.

It was a faith forged in brokenness, a life restored through surrender, and a belief that even at the edge of despair, redemption is possible.