Mary's Song The Bethesda Issue | Page 7

testim onies Fi l l i ng t he Empt y Pl aces By Shannon Dupr e I was r ai s ed i n a Chr i s t i an home by t wo amazi ng par ent s who di d ev er yt hi ng r i ght , but at t he age of 18, I began hangi ng ar ound t he wr ong c r owd. Bef or e I k new i t I was par t yi ng and doi ng dr ugs . By my 21s t bi r t hday I was a f ul l - bl own dr ug addi c t and pr egnant . I r us hed i nt o a mar r i age t hat s ame year t o t he f i r s t guy t hat c ome al ong bec aus e t hat i s what I t hought I was s uppos ed t o do. I s t ayed i n t hat abus i v e s i t uat i on f or al mos t 10 year s but i n t he mi ddl e of t he br ok en mar r i age my l i t t l e br ot her was mur der ed. My whol e f ami l y was dev as t at ed, s o I was abs ol ut el y pos i t i v e t hat God hat ed me and I woul d s pend t he r es t of my l i f e payi ng f or my s i ns . T o hel p c ope wi t h my pai n, I s t ar t ed t ak i ng pr es c r i pt i on dr ugs but s i nc e t hat j us t was nʼ t enough t o br i ng r el i ef , I s t ar t ed us i ng her oi n and c r ys t al met h. I was i n and out of j ai l f or a whi l e but ev ent ual l y ov er dos ed i n a Wal gr eens bat hr oom wi t h my 7 year ol d daught er i n t he next s t al l . T he par amedi c s t ol d me t hat my hear t s t opped f or ov er 12 mi nut es . F r om t her e I f ound mys el f f ac i ng an ext ended pr i s on t er m, s o I c ame t o Mar yʼ s Song. I di dnʼ t k now what t o expec t , but I k new i f I c ont i nued t he l i f es t yl e I was i n, I woul d di e. I k new I needed hel p, but I di dnʼ t k now how t o get i t . Mar yʼ s Song has c ompl et el y changed my l i f e and gi v en me t he hope I was s ear chi ng f or ! I needed J es us t o f i l l t he empt y pl ac es i n my l i f e t hat not hi ng el s e c oul d s at i s f y . As I pr ogr es s ed i n t he pr ogr am t he t hi ngs my par ent s t aught me gr owi ng up went f r om “head k nowl edge” t o “hear t k nowl edge” r ev el at i on. T he L or d s howed me t hat when I was r unni ng as f ar f r om Hi m as I c oul d get , t hat He s t i l l l ov ed me and pul l ed me out of t he gr av e t hat I was c r eat i ng f or mys el f . He had mor e f or me, ev en when I di dnʼ t r eal i ze i t . J es us del i v er ed me f r om t he anger and s el f - pi t y t hat was c ont r ol l i ng me! He i s s howi ng me how good He r eal l y i s and how Hi s hand i s upon my l i f e. Ev er y day t he L or d i s dr awi ng me c l os er t o Hi m. T he Fat her has s hown me l ov e and gi v en me peac e t hat c an not be obt ai ned anywher e el s e. I c an now be t he mot her t o my t wo beaut i f ul chi l dr en t hat God has c al l ed me t o be. T he L or d has t r ul y gi v en me j oy f or mour ni ng - I wi l l t hank and pr ai s e Hi m al l my days ! Spr i ng 2017 { 7 }