Holding His Hand

         “I remember the air that day like it was yesterday. Warm, sunshine bright, water was refreshing, my faithful dog next to me. It was dreamy. He held my hand as we walked and shared all my thoughts and feelings of the moment. I was only five years old.

         My encounter with Jesus has never left my memory. It's an experience nobody can take away from me nor explain scientifically it couldn't be possible. However, I didn’t stay there, but went on to live my life making many bad decisions. When I finally reached for His hand again I was in a million pieces.”

         Kristi’s life was filled with abusive of alcohol, drugs and sexual activity. She lived with a man she loved, but he did not know the meaning of love, and mind-washed her thinking and abused her. She knew what she was doing, but this lifestyle only led deeper and deeper into a pit of self-pity and self loathing. She hated her life and herself for being a willing participant, but after many years, she could not see a way out.

         The best she could do was numb herself with drugs and alcohol. The numbness was a welcome respite from the reality of her life. During this time, she used people and stepped on their backs to get what she wanted. She made attempts at getting healthy, but the sinful life took effort. It was too difficult to do positive activities with a hangover.

         One day it dawned on her that her life was awful. Her "well-kept woman" life filled with riches, traveling and more, was not good in any sense of the word. She reached the bottom.

         Packing her SUV, she drove away. She left him, the city, the house, her job, everything. It was incredibly stressful, but she knew she couldn’t live like that anymore and needed to start life over.

         She remembered the walk with Jesus when she was a little girl. She thought she would give him a try.  She prayed and asked God to send her to the right church that would help her get to know Him honestly. Almost immediately a co-worker invited her to Sagebrush Community Church.

         She visited a few times and then found the courage to go in and meet with a Pastor. She had plenty of questions. He gave her a Bible and told her how she could have a real relationship with a God who forgave her for everything and loved her enough to die for her. This God promised to be with her forever, and fill her with the love, peace and healing she so desperately needed. She prayed and committed to follow Jesus for the rest of her life.

         When she drove home that day, she realized if she was going to be all in with Jesus, she needed to clean house. She gathered all her drugs and drug paraphernalia, drove back to the church and handed everything to the Pastor. He was more than surprised. It was both a physical gesture and a spiritual one. She was giving the Lord her past, and looking to Him for her future. She would never go back to the drugs and the lifestyle that went with them.

         To say Kristi is a different person today, would be a huge understatement. She has studied the Bible intensely, memorized verses, and applied what she has learned for a completely new way of living. She has served kids, adults and the church selflessly. Eight years later she is more in love with Jesus and the happiest she has ever been. She has a job she loves, lives in a pretty house with a plethora of animals and enjoys serving her community.

         An artist at heart, she uses the gifts and talents God has given her to create amazing faith filled art. She has created art using Bible verses to encourage others in their journey with Jesus. She is seeking to do more to help others, especially those mired in sex, drugs and alcohol.
 

Kristi has published a coloring book showing our identity in Christ.

         A person cannot be around Kristi very long without seeing her enthusiasm for life, her deep love for the Lord and having the joy He has given her, spill over onto them.

         Of her new life, she says,

“Jesus is still holding my hand, though this time I'm not letting go of His.”

For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,

Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Have you ever pictured yourself holding the Lord’s hand? Or have you felt His arms of comfort around you during a difficult time?

          This is Day 12 in a series called 31 Days of Change. If you would like to read more stories about change, click one of the links below
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Day 1:   He Did What?!

 Day 2:  Called Out in Class

Day 3:  Stuck in the Desert

Day 4:  Nicest Guy in Hell

Day 5:  Domino's Delivers More Than Pizza

Day 6:  Mommy, You Need God  - Part 1

Day 7:  Mommy, You Need God - Part 2

Day 8:  Meeting My Messiah

Day 9:   Depression to Joy

Day 10:  Seasons of Change

Day 11:  In the Enemy's Ring

Day 12:  Holding His Hand

Day 13:  Changed

Day 14:  12 Thoughts on Change

Day 15:  A Prodigal Daughter’s Journey

Day 16:  What if God Never Calls?

Day 17:  Never the Same

Day 18:  The C Word

Day 19:  Punk to Pastor

Day 20:  Lessons After Class

Day 21:  Is There Life After Prison?

Day 22:

Day 23:

Day 24:

Day 25:

Day 26:

Day 27:

Day 27:

Day 28:

Day 29:

Day 30:

Day 31: