My Story of Hope and Healing

Thirty years ago I was at a point of despair in my life.

I was struggling as a single parent to raise a young son. Five years earlier my world had been turned upside down when my marriage of several years had suddenly dissolved. My husband had fallen in love with someone else during my pregnancy and left when my son was 5 months old. Although I had my son and we were getting by, I felt a deep sense of despair that my life had not turned out the way I had hoped it would. I vividly remember walking out in my backyard and praying, asking Jesus to forgive me for my sins. I knew there were things in my life that I regretted and I needed a Savior. People in my past had shared with me how to become a Christian but I had always assumed I could work things out myself. That day I realized I couldn't and needed help. I prayed "Jesus, if you are real, come into my life and make me the person you created me to be." During the next two weeks, two different people on two different occasions invited me to a particular church. I started attending there and learned what it meant to follow Jesus.

That day in my backyard changed my life forever. As I learned to trust Christ more and more, despair was replaced with hope and healing. I discovered that married or single, I was living a fulfilled life, complete in Christ. Friends came into my life that I still have after 30 years. As areas of my life began to change through my desire to follow Christ, new opportunities arose that offered a more successful career. That provided the financial stability I had been seeking.

After years of being happy as a single I was blessed with a second marriage to a wonderful christian man. He had a great sense of humor and I will always be thankful for the years we had together. Christ has also comforted me during the difficult times as well. That comfort and love were never so apparent to me than in the days and weeks following the death of my husband.

We had been planning to retire and had just sold our house. My husband had gone fishing with a friend up in Washington state and had been killed instantly in a car accident. Once again my world was turned upside down but this time Christ was at my side providing the help and support I needed.

Because of these experiences I know that life can suddenly knock you down when you least expect it. But I also know that Jesus promises to be with us always and is faithful in that promise. He doesn't remove all the difficulties in our lives, but helps and supports us through them. There is nothing in life that you cannot face when Christ is at your side. Ask Him to show you what His plan is for your life.....