USING MY ORDEALS TO HELP OTHERS

I tried to take my life once. I had so many bad things happen: I had been molested, raped, physically abused and I’ve had a child die.

I have been a Christian since I was seven years old. But I thought there must be something wrong with me and that I must be a bad Christian if all these horrible things were taking place in my life.

I sat down one night and told God that I couldn’t deal with the pain of this world any longer and I wanted to come live with Him. So I took a bunch of pills. When I woke up in the hospital, I knew I needed help.

I went to counseling for some time, but what helped me more than anything was that I started seriously reading the Bible, every day. I found that these painful things were not happening to me because I was a bad Christian.

I felt like God wanted me to use my ordeals to help others. I thought about how I could do that. I have always had an ability to relate to people that may be different, that others may feel awkward talking to. And I thought I could relate to just about any bad thing that someone may have experienced.

So I started talking to ladies that worked in strip clubs. I go into the dressing room and just listen to them. I do not have an agenda, and I don’t hand them any pamphlets or tracts. I just love them unconditionally. I meet them were they are. I don’t preach or try to get them to go to church. I just listen and love. I hear some very heartbreaking stories.

I feel I have a platform where I can share their pain because of what I’ve been through. And they seem to relate. A number of these ladies have ended up asking me what makes me so different. That’s when I share how God’s love changed my life, and how He can change theirs.