Glory to our awesome God who heals the broken, binds up their wounds and replaces shame with freedom. As you read Heather’s story, remember that no one is past God’s love or beyond His grace. To God be the glory!
“From homelessness to couch-surfing in middle school and early teen years to becoming riddled by addictions to alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, meth and opiates in junior high. Feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety led me to try to end it all three times.”
The stage seemed to be set for Heather’s full-blown destruction; but God is the Master of the stage. In steps Jesus, and everything changes.
Heather’s eldest son had a schoolmate who wanted to come over to play; so, this boys’ mom stopped by to introduce herself and let Heather meet her son. Heather writes, “Me, the not so ‘peoply-people person’ decided, for some strange reason, to open up and share what I was dealing with. A weird calmness came over me, and I let the floodgates open.” Heather’s new friend responded with love and a listening ear. She invited Heather to join her at Northwest Valley Baptist Church. Heather began attending Northwest Valley Baptist Church and Freedom that Lasts – a wonderful addiction recovery program.
Heather writes, “Pastor Schaal came to our family home and gifted us with The Exchange. I placed my faith in Jesus Christ as the one true Savior. My only Savior. The One Great Redeemer, God’s Son who died for my sins and rose again that I might become a new creature in Christ – a child of God.
Abandoned by family and friends, the devil told me I was all alone.
But God says, “I will never leave nor forsake thee.”
The devil said, “It’s ok to numb your pain with alcohol…. The drugs will give you strength for another day.”
But God says, “Lean on me when you are weak and weary, and I will give you rest.”
The devil said, “Look at what you’ve done. You’re dirty. You can never be forgiven. There’s no hope.”
But God said, “My child, repent of your sins and turn away from them. Here is my Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the lost and broken.”
Jesus has wiped Heather’s slate clean. She has been completely and forever forgiven. “So much adversity I have faced and situations in which I have asked, ‘Why and How am I still here?’ But I now know that God has been with me through it all. He was leading me to this very moment in time.”
May this story motivate us to love people deeply and share our faith boldly, know that NO ONE is too hard for God!