Someone asked me today WHY I followed JESUS, and HOW I’d met Him.
MY reply:
“How did I meet Jesus? Mmm….Well, I met him at Summer Camp when I was in Jr. High. 👊
I’m an Adopted kid from a rough part of Jersey, a bi-product of a Drug-Addicted Prostitute who was in jail, struggling to grasp the notion of having Children, before making an undeniably difficult and brave decision, signing her Parental rights away to my Adoptive Parents 2 years later…💔
I grew up in a physically abusive home, and I am also the the survivor of Sexual Abuse…..😔
I LOVED going to Church Camp EVERY Summer until I graduated from High School! Actually, I LONGED for it, and personally celebrated it! Why? Besides OBVIOUS reasons, duh, of being able to hang out with my Church Friends all week, and learn more about God, the abuse I was suffering at home STOPPED when I arrived at Camp. My Abuser actually came WITH me, which was difficult at first, but I honestly felt like even just for that short time, I had one WEEK of absolute freedom, both physically and mentally of the abuse at home. 😁
One year we had the opportunity to turn our lives and our “ugly baggage of sin” over to Jesus, during a Campfire log-burning ceremony. I remember practically shaking as I threw my stick into the fire, inviting Him into my life, and praying he’d take me away from the hurt, anger, and shame I was carrying in my life. I got Baptized that same year. 😀
Fast forward 35+ years, but first, let me take you BACK 20! 🙄😏🤣
I graduated from High-School, and attended Beauty College right away that same Fall not far from where I grew up. And, I can’t tell a lie- with my newfound freedom of living on my own, I stopped going to Church. Why bother? 🤨
At that point, the perpetual shame and anger from the Abuse I suffered as an Adolescent, had started to spill out. I developed a severe Eating Disorder, I started drinking, doing drugs, and having one-night stands, to TRY easing the pain that I couldn’t seem to get rid of, no matter HOW hard I tried! Plus, I knew in my heart of heart’s, that I DEFINITELY was NOT living the life I’d promised Jesus earlier in my childhood. 😶
And so what did I do? Like any normal person, out of shame and embarrassment, I ran. I ran for quite a few hard “lesson-learning” years, including a Date Rape where I was drugged, and an Abusive Boyfriend, before the Lord graciously and surprisingly presented me with the Husband I had prayed and longed for, all of my agonizingly and lonely Teenage years!? 😍
We were married for about 10 years, before the conversation of finding a Church came up. After searching for months, I couldn’t stop comparing the Churches we were attending, to my HOME Church!? 🤔
So, due to a Funeral, and a gentle but firm shove- maybe a swift kick, from God, I swallowed my fear and went Home to the Service. 😥
I gotta tell you, I KNOW Satan tried REAL hard to get me to turn that car around and NOT go! He hissed horrible lies into my ears, and unleashed horrible worry and panic unto my brain! I literally felt like I had a Devil on one shoulder, and an Angel on the other, duking it out, between my ears! 👿
BUT, the longing of returning to my “Home” Church, and hoping to receive the love and support I was so desperately seeking due to my past mistakes, motivated me to GET there! I finally collapsed in the last pew in the back of the Church. I can recall feeling a blanket of peace and comfort wash over me like I’d never experienced before, as I let the tears just roll down my cheeks. 😟
I cried non-stop during that Funeral, feeling my heart ache like it had never ached before. After the Funeral, I was able to reunite with people I hadn’t seen in over 20 YEARS!? People I’d grown up with, and who had known me since I was a Toddler, people who were actually genuinely happy to see me after all those lost years!? 🤗
Truth be told, I haven’t missed more than a handful of Church Service’s since then! That was almost 5 years ago! 🤩
What has happened since coming back to Church, and re-dedicating my life to God? I started out as a Camp Counselor at the Summer Camp I attended every year growing up, for Jr. High kids.
Then a few years later, I had the notion to enthusiastically volunteer to be “The” Camp Director! 🙄😄🤣
I was THEN asked to be on Staff for my Church’s Youth Group, WITH my Pastor, who was MY favorite Youth Group Leader when I was growing up!? 😃
And Now? Lol, I AM one of the head Youth Group Leader’s!? 😂
It’s crazy how the Lord has swooped in, loved on me, has continued to heal my heart, and faithfully walk WITH me on a daily basis!? 😊
Not only has He rejoiced in my “Homecoming”, BUT, He has used MY past struggles and triumphs, to be able to help empathize, support, and motivate OTHERS to lean towards Jesus, and learn about HIS amazing grace! 💗
God is SO good!! I’m learning more and more every single day, just how much He is!” 🤓
Shelly's Recovery 