A Testimony of Love, Freedom and Hope -

Christie said that growing up, all she wanted was her father’s love, but he abandoned her when she was young.

While her mother worked long hours, Christie stayed at the homes of family and friends. By the age of ten, she was sexually abused and began to act out.

At eleven, she became a runaway and was sent to a girls’ home. Instead of finding refuge, Christie said she suffered from physical and emotional abuse from the staff until she left at age sixteen.

By the age of twenty-one, she was in her second marriage and the mother of two children.

Then Christie’s father reached out to her. He had become a quadriplegic after an accident and needed a place to stay. Hoping to mend the relationship, she agreed and cared for him for eight years. However, this arrangement brought chaos to her home.

She gave him the home, and her family moved out. When her father died just a few weeks later, Christie was overwhelmed by guilt. Her marriage began to suffer and eventually ended in divorce.

On Christmas Eve 2005, Christie was alone and hopeless. With all the things going on in her life, she had given up and decided to take prescription medicine and overdose.

It was only by the grace of God that a friend called her to wish her a happy new year and recognized that something was wrong in her voice and called 911.

Christie survived and began attending a Christian recovery program and counseling. There she began to deal with her pain from the past.

In a small group, she met someone who became her best friend. As she watched her, she saw how peaceful she was, being an example of Jesus in her life.

During a recovery meeting, Christie opened her heart to God’s love. She asked God for forgiveness and invited Him into her life.

As she grew closer to God, she began to reconcile her relationships and find forgiveness for those who hurt her.

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