I came to experience the Lord as a Deliverer and a Healer before I ever understood anything about sin and forgiveness . When I was 19 years old, my journey with recreational drug and alcohol use went too far. I had gotten to the point where many nights were black out nights and I would awaken in the morning with no memory of the night before.

But one morning that changed. I woke up and remembered hearing a voice in my head during the night. It sounded like my voice, but what it said led me to believe it wasn’t my voice. The voice said, “You’re pregnant, go see a doctor”. I attributed that voice to the God I didn’t know.

So, I saw a doctor and sure enough, I was pregnant. That same day, all desire I had for drugs and alcohol were gone! I gave up both and never went back! Praise God!

Two weeks later, my husband got shot in a hunting accident. The emergency room crew did not offer much hope of his recovery. We were 200 miles from home but his mother came to the hospital and camped out there with us for days following. Each day hoping for encouragement from the doctors but mostly hearing – wait and see.

My mother-in-law was a charismatic Pentecostal preacher’s wife, and she began shouting at demons and pleading the blood over everything. I didn’t understand any of this at all. Then she prayed and prayed and prayed and when she prayed her countenance changed and she looked so much at peace. I didn’t understand that either.

Her prayers prevailed and her son, my husband was completely healed. Not immediately but over time.

It would be years after this before I gave my life to Jesus. One day in the barn at our home in Montana during a time when my life had become unmanageable and I was done, I called out to God and told Him that if He wanted my life, He could have it because I didn’t want it.

A palpable peace filled the barn and sunk deep into my heart. That peace remained, my life circumstances didn’t change, but I did.

I found a church and signed up for the water baptism class and for the first time I heard the gospel, the story of why Jesus went to the cross, why I need to receive Him into my heart and how sin had separated us. I got baptized and devoted myself to reading the Bible, attending church and finding my place to serve in the church.

I am a new creation and I am so grateful!