My life seemed normal until a week prior to October 20, 2008. For a about a week, I had been praying for God to use my life to bring others to Him. My husband of five years and I had grown apart. Many years of his unbelief, as well as, an addiction to prescription medication had severed my desire to bring him to Christ any longer.
I honestly thought that God would answer my prayer by sending me on another mission trip. The last trip I had taken was to New York in 2003. I missed being a servant to Him. But instead, on this date, my husband overdosed on prescription medication and physically hurt me. Prior to this night, my husband had never raised a hand to me. When I called the Sheriff’s department to report the incident, my husband put on his Navy uniform, greeted the deputies and lied about what happened. Consequently, I was charged with a felony and restrained from my home, belongings and more importantly, my children. My life was changed from that moment on. I finally acknowledged that Jesus is with me through my trials and that I can trust Him.
While hunched over in jail holding cell, Jesus spoke to me through another inmate. When she came in, she looked right at me and said in a slang drawl, “Girl, why you cryin,’ God’s with you,” and then started to sing old church hymns. I stopped crying and asked her for her name. She simply replied, “Its t.”
God was also in the Jail Supervisor, who put her hand on my shoulder and very softly said, “You are going to get through this.” Further, I was offered blankets and told to call my mother by the tower watchman, as though I was a guest. I was released from jail only after a few hours. The Jail Supervisor and I noticed during my release, that she had neglected to take my cross necklace from me.
The compassion of strangers that I received while at my mother’s house for the duration of my restraining order, continued to remind me that I was not alone. The criminal attorney that I hired was well known by the judge and prosecuting attorney. He cut me a large break in his normal fees and got the charges dropped as quickly as possible. The doctor who examined my injuries treated me with compassion. Childhood friends from my home town went out of their way to show God’s mercy and even the grocery store clerk said something personal and encouraging that only God would have known to say.
I discovered hope and help in Jesus during this incident. I also notice huge changes in me. I could no longer boast about how I didn’t even have parking tickets on record. Many years of arrogance and self-righteousness erased quickly. I no longer had to be the center of attention. I learned to surrender to God’s will and I became humble.
Because of the violence, I did move out of our home to provide protection to my youngest child, but when I met with a divorce attorney, I had the overwhelming sense to not proceed. Consequently, I did not divorce my husband. Instead, I enrolled in school. As the Lord would have it, the program I entered was Seminary and the degree was a Masters Degree in Him.
I started to pray for my husband again. Amazingly, my husband sought the help of a counselor and after six years of never wanting anything to do with God; he began to go to church.
My husband has since, accepted Jesus into his life and has encouraged my recent baptism and graduation from seminary. He professes his faith daily to others and I have learned what it means to trust in God and to truly surrender. I also know that when we offer to bring others to Christ, God may answer in a way we never expected.
I have walked hand in hand with Jesus for over 3 years now. And, because I have found such hope and peace, I continually share my story with everyone I meet. I watch in amazement each time a neighbor, friend and family member accepts Jesus into their heart.
I know that God can work miracles, through us, if we let Him!!! Today, I thank God for that trial. He changed my heart, my marriage and my life!
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Please share your thoughts in the comments section below! To read this author's personal testimony please go to: http://dlouyoung.blogspot.com/p/store.htmlI know that God can work miracles, through us, if we let Him!!! Today, I thank God for that trial. He changed my heart, my marriage and my life!
To read the complete Story, please go to:
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