"Mommy, You Need God."

         Getting a spanking after mass, for not paying attention, gave my friend, Amber, a negative view of God and church at an early age. She viewed God as harsh and unloving. Amber grew up not knowing anything about the Bible, or about a Heavenly Father who loved her. Her life was centered on herself, her pleasure, her materialism, pride and arrogance. This lead her to a life of destruction.

        

Here is Amber’s story:

         “I was always around drugs and alcohol but never experienced using them until I was 23.  I started drinking at the clubs which led to cocaine use. I met Johnny my senior year of college when I started drinking and drugs. Quickly he moved in with me.  I was partying, not coming home and very destructive in our relationship.  Our relationship was toxic. He was controlling and we yelled at each other and fought often.

         After about a year of constant partying and cocaine use I got pregnant with our first child. Marriage was not an option, we lived together during my pregnancy and I was sober.

          My daughter was four months old when my life really spiraled down hill.  I was driving to Albuquerque from Santa Fe and was pulled over for drinking and driving.  I was arrested and the tow truck driver that impounded my car turned out to be a family friend. He called my mom to get my daughter before CYFD did. I stayed in jail for about two weeks.  My father was secretary of corrections at the time which compromised my life. I could have been killed if the other jail mates knew this.

         While I was in my addiction Johnny and my family begged me to go to rehab. I first refused because I did not want to leave my daughter. Also, I was so materialistic I did not want to lose my house and not be able to buy clothes, shoes and the things I wanted.  I was so prideful that I thought rehab was only for those who lived on the streets and did street drugs.  I figured I had an education and owned my own house. Why would I jeopardize my reputation?  I did not look at alcohol and cocaine as drugs. 

         Johnny and I were in a custody battle for our daughter.  I was alone. Nobody wanted me to care for her. He hired a lawyer to take her away from me.  After my DWI, I was facing felony charges as well as a DWI.  I did not care about the DWI charge, but was terrified of the felony charge.  After completing my dietetic internship there would be no way I would ever get a job as a Dietician if I was a felon.  I hired a lawyer and made a plea deal. I would have a conditional discharge of the felony as long as I did two years of supervised probation and my DWI would be a conditional discharge.  I took the plea. I was placed on house arrest for a month because my charge came with jail time; again my life was jeopardized going back to jail so I did house arrest.

         In March of 2012, Johnny, our daughter and I drove to Santa Fe to eat dinner.  Our daughter was about nine months old.  We were involved in a fatal DWI crash where two teenage sisters were killed in the accident. Two others were in critical condition and many hurt. One would think I would sober up and change my life after this accident but I did not, instead I played the victim role because I lost my car. I lost my lap top which had all my work to complete my internship. Then I started partying again while I was on probation.  Soon enough I violated my probation and was put in jail. 

         There was no other choice but to go into rehab. This time I finally turned to God and asked for help.  He answered my prayer, even though I only prayed selfish prayers when I was in trouble and was desperate for His help.  God blessed me by allowing me to go to a  rehab/transition home where I was able to take my daughter part-time.  I finally opened my eyes.  I was placed in a home with felony woman coming out of prison who had always lived a life on the streets, prostitution and drugs.  It was scary living there.  The women would do heroin and awful things while in the Rehab.  I was in shock.  Again my life was jeopardized because of my father’s position with the Corrections Department.  The staff and probation officers were aware of this and worked hard to protect me."

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew only God could get you out?     

How long have you done things your own way before coming to the end of your self and turning to God for help?

(Join me here tomorrow for Part 2 of Amber's story.)

This is part of a series called, 31 Days of Change. To read more stories of changed lives, click here.

 

A Changed Life

 “Do you want to do something beautiful for God? There is a person who needs you. This is your chance.”                                                       

-Mother Teresa

                                                                      
  

          A rough looking man with a long gray ponytail approached me. I was volunteering at the Guest Information table in the lobby of the high school where our church meets.

Looking at the stack of CDs on the table, he asked,

“Do you have last week’s sermon?”

“I’m sorry, we are all out of that one.” I said. “You can watch the sermon online at the website though.” I offered to him.

“Nah, I don’t have a computer.” He said, noticeably disappointed.

“Last week, I was high when I got here and can’t really remember what the preacher said. But I knew I needed to come back here. Now I am wondering what he said that made me have to come back.”

         The previous week we grilled New Mexican green chili cheeseburgers in the courtyard, after the church service. We invited friends and neighbors to join us for the free cookout.  A neighbor invited him, and he came back again this week.

         I offered to order the CD of the message from the previous week for him and have it at the table  the next Sunday.  I wasn’t sure he would be back. He didn’t look like the church going type.

         To my surprise, the following Sunday he walked up to the table eager to see me. I spoke first,

“Hi! Guess what? I have the CD of the message you wanted.”

“You do?” he asked. He walked around behind the table and gave me the biggest bear hug I have had. “You are the best! Thank you so much! I like this church. I think I am going to keep coming back.”

         Week after week, he faithfully attended church. He met people, asked questions, and enjoyed hearing God’s Word preached.

         A year later, at the next church cookout, he climbed into the outdoor baptism tank. His eyes sparkled and he grinned ear to ear, as he stepped forward to the microphone. To the crowd of several hundred people he said,

“My neighbor invited me to this church last year. I learned about a God who loves me and has forgiven me for everything I have done. He has changed my whole life.” He said, choking up. “I only wish I had found Him earlier in my life.”

         I admire the neighbor who befriended him and invited him to church. He had not come for the first few months, but she kept inviting him. He finally decided to attend because we were having a cookout with free green chili cheeseburgers. That day his life was changed.

I love the verse in Romans 2:4

“Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”

        

         It was God’s kindness, through his neighbor, that changed that man forever. He only wished he had known of God sooner.

                            *********************************

Has someone shown you God’s kindness? Do you look for ways to show His kindness to others?

A New Beginning

I didn’t know anything about her, except that this was her second time to church and she wanted to be baptized. Vince introduced her and said, “She wants to be a Jesus follower. Will you tell her how?”

Her name was Cathy and she looked about 25 years old. She was short with blonde hair and a pleasant face. Her round blue eyes looked eagerly at me as I started to talk. I asked if she had grown up going to church. She said no, that her parents never went to church.  A friend had invited her last week and she brought her three-year-old daughter by herself today.

Not wanting to repeat what she already knew, I asked her if she understood the message from the sermon. She said she did. I asked if she understood the prayer at the end, where the Pastor explained how to follow Jesus. She said yes, she did.

Then, I began to explain, “Jesus was born in a manger and lived a perfect life and died on a cross, to forgive us for all of our sins, past, present and future. It’s like our slate, our life, gets washed clean and we get to start over. Would you like that?” I asked. A smile spread across her face, “Yes, I would. I need that.”

I went on, “Ok, first we pray and ask God to forgive us for our sins. Then, we thank Him for sending His son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Then, we commit our lives to follow Him, the best way we know how. When we do that, God sends His Holy Spirit to live inside us. He will guide you in how to live your new life as a Jesus follower. He will never leave you and will be with you where ever you are. Do you understand?

“Yes, that would be great,” she eagerly replied.

“Even though this prayer of committing your life is a one time thing, our new life of following Jesus is a journey. We all learn as we grow. We learn through coming to church. We learn through reading God’s Word, the Bible, every day. The Holy Spirit will help you."

I prayed out loud and she repeated what I said. I feared I had left out so much. Did she know what sin was? Or heaven or hell? I forgot to tell her how great God is and how much He loved her. I forgot to say that this would not make her life perfect, and that there would still be difficulties, but now she would have Jesus with her.

I held back saying, “ Do you know what a huge miracle this is, that the God of the universe picked you, out of all the people in our city, to come to church today? It is God who put the desire in your heart to want to have a relationship with Him. Your life will be blessed beyond measure from this day on.”

I had only just met her, so I didn’t want to smother her with Jesus. But I wanted to hug her and say, “Welcome to the family! I can’t wait for you to get to know this wonderful God, who has an incredible life planned for you!”

People do not wake up and out of the blue decide to come to church. God calls them because He loves them so much.

I left to get a New Believers Bible for her, while she went to pick up her daughter from the kid’s area.

“My daughter loves coming here,” she beamed excitedly. “All week she has asked when do we get to come back to church? She asked me everyday.”

She turned to me with new excitement in her eyes, and a huge smile. “I feel different already,” she told me. "Thank you for telling me about Jesus and praying with me. I had never heard that before. I can’t wait to come back next Sunday.”

I can’t wait either.

She held her daughter’s hand and they walked out, both smiling with joy.

Amazing!

I never stop being in awe at how God calls people to Himself, forgives them with His amazing grace and changes their life forever.

It was all God. He did everything. I forgot to say so much. Where was my pen and paper to draw out the ‘The Bridge’ illustration, showing how we pass from death to life? I didn’t quote any Bible verses, not even John 3:16. And really, how is she going to believe the Bible if I didn’t tell her about Genesis 1:1 ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth  . . .’?

It did not matter. Today was her day. God called her, prompted her to come to church, prepared her heart and mind to eagerly ask about God. He gave her understanding and the desire to follow Him.

Amazing!

Amazing grace that saved another wretch like me.

She came in lost and now was found.

She had been spiritually blind, He opened her eyes, and now she could see.