Guest Post- My Journey to Christ

I've shared my testimony and that of my sister's in separate posts. I am continuing the guest post series with my mom's (Vicky) testimony. Her testimony is hopefully going to be a two part series. My hope and prayer is that these testimonies show forth God's amazing grace and love. I hope her testimony can help others who might be in similar situations. Here's her story. 

The first time I went to church. I was about 8 years old. We lived about a half a mile down the street from church. I went to VBS. We made a paper mache volcano. I don't remember going back to church. 

I told my dad I wanted a Bible and a diary. I remember him putting them in a bag on the table. My dad told me not to touch them. But I did, and I felt so bad that I never touched them again. 

Fast forward six years. Alot of stuff happened to me during those years. I started stealing pills, smoking, and grinding Tylenol and smoking it. I was crying out for help, but no one helped me.

 I met my first husband at a vocational school. We married in 1979. I already had a son when we got married. My marriage went well for a while. We had two daughters, Jenny and Jessica. 

I started doing drugs again. I'd go to the next door neighbors house to get high. That went on for a while. My children didn't know what I was doing. Or so I thought. 

When Jessica was a young teen, I left and moved out with my boyfriend. He and I moved to NC, we were originally living in OK. 

We couldn't find anyone to sell us weed, but we did find someone to buy crack from. Crack was now my drug of choice. I went to work high and came home high. All I wanted in life was to get high and stay high. We lived in a policeman's trailer but that didn't matter. I'd still leave the trailer at all hours of the night to go buy more drugs. 

I'd meet strange men on dirt roads. I'd go to run down houses and where ever I could to buy drugs. 

By this time, Jessica came to stay with us. I continued doing the things I did. After being out buying drugs late at night, I'd come home and Jessica would grab me and hug me. The hugs seemed like they'd never end. And she did this over and over again. All I wanted was for her to go to bed so I could go out again. 

Jessica got saved. I was thankful she had nice people to go to church with. She asked me all the time to go to church. There was no way, I was going to church. If I went to church, I would have to quit my drugs and smoking. I'd also have to quit living with my boyfriend. No one actually told me this, but I knew it was wrong, but I didn't want to stop. We didn't have much food. I didn't want Jessica to eat cause that took away from my drugs. 

Jessica was apart of the church youth group. She was doing good. The youth pastor wanted the youth to learn Bible verses. Jessica had to tell me the verses. I could not wait for her to be done. She had to say them word for word, so that meant I had to read them. I did not like that at first. After a while it was really starting to get to me. But remember I was a hard case. 

The day Hurricane Floyd hit NC, I was driving around smoking crack. I could not see where I was going. I did not know where I was. But I was still smoking and driving. At one point, I said to myself, "God if you get me home, I will go to church in the morning." All of a sudden, I see the trailer. When I went inside, I told Jessica what happened. When said, I had to go to church then. There was still no way I was going. In the morning, Jessica came and woke me up. I got up an got dressed. I went to church and I had drugs in my pocket. I didn't go anywhere without my drugs. I looked rough. I had no clothes to wear to church. 

I believe God told Pastor Winstead the exact message to preach. It was all for me. Every word was right on point. I felt like I couldn't breath. I held the pew with a death grip. God told me this was my last chance, that He wasn't going to deal with me anymore. I took that first step down the aisle. Someone took me in a back room and shared with me the Gospel. 

I was a big sinner. Besides the drugs, I was also a cutter, I knew I was the devil's child. There was a great battle in that room that evening. It felt like I was being ripped apart. When I came out of that room, God had gotten the victory. I had a new Father. 

God changed my life. My dress changed, my mouth changed, and I was finally clean. I saw lost souls everywhere. My heart was broken for the lost. I had a heavy burden.  I began passing out tracts and going door knocking. 

I have been saved 16 years now. There has been lots of ups and downs. I have fallen flat on my face and got out of church. But one thing has not changed, God is still my Father. He still loves me no matter what and He's always been there for me. 

Lord willing, I'll continue my testimony in another post. 

I just want to say, that I'm proof that God can save anyone. No one is so low that He can't reach down and save. He can still work miracles in people's lives today.