Hi! I’m Jenny, and this is a shortened version of my story. I was born April 5th 1974. My Father abandoned the family when I was 3 years old. He destroyed the house and left us with almost nothing. He dropped us off at my Grandma’s house, and we never saw him again.
Mom raised us in church, but at the same time, she was negative toward us and very angry with my Dad. I did not get along with my Mom. She constantly talk down to me and put me down- I was painfully shy. When my Father left me I felt unloved, worthless, and there was a huge whole in my heart that no one could fill.

I knew I needed something more in my life. I was 13 and in Church and heard the good news about Jesus. I took that step of faith, took my Pastor by the hand, and told him that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart and live forever. I made that decision!! That day was the first time I realized the unconditional love of Jesus has for me. I still find it amazing that Jesus died for me and forgives me of all my sin past, present, and future.

The Lord has blessed me and taught me many things since then. Not only did I grow, but so did my Mom. My relationship with her got better and she stopped saying those hurtful words to me. She started encouraging me to live my life the way God wanted me to live. I read my Bible daily and prayed that the Lord would lead and direct my life the way He wanted me to go. I think the one thing God has taught me is how to forgive other who have hurt me and people whom I have hurt.

In 2006, my Mom found out she had brain cancer. She had brain surgery but the Dr. couldn’t remove all of the tumor. It was a very aggressive form of brain cancer. Her attitude was “God is in control”. I have never seen her with this much peace while her world was crashing down around her. She died later that year and it was very hard on me, but God saw me through.
I was still angry with my Dad, after all those years. My anger affected my marriage and my children the Lord entrusted to me. Even as one who had received God’s love and who saved me, I still had trouble receiving and giving love each day, and still struggled with feelings of worthlessness, I knew that this wasn’t God’s will for my life. I sought the Lord and received counseling. God is healing my heart, and those feelings of worthlessness are being replaced with the love that Jesus has for me. God is a miracle working God, and He is working miracles in me everyday.

One Wednesday as I put my feet on the floor getting out of bed, I felt this overwhelming peace come over me. I knew it was God speaking to my heart. He was telling me to write a letter to my Dad, forgiving him for abandoning the family and the hurt that his actions had rooted themselves in me all those years ago. I found his address and mailed it. Then I waited! Two weeks later, he responded back saying that he was so proud that I am a child of God, and that he had become a Christian as well.

God has forgiven my sins, healed my relationships with my Mom and Dad, restoring my family, and given me peace and hope for the future. I am deeply loved, fully pleasing, totally forgiven, accepted, and complete in Christ. That’s what happened to me. What about you? God bless you!