A Life Rebuilt

Blessings to you all during this season, when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus! I assume that most readers of this blog post are busy buying and wrapping gifts in celebration of Christmas.

But I want to share a story with you of a woman who has recently received the greatest gift of all: a

restored relationship with her Lord. And with that came other gifts: freedom from addiction, a life-

mission in service, the blessings of motherhood. These are not the kinds of gift that you put under the tree on Christmas Eve. Instead, they’re gifts that one cherishes in one’s heart—and can share with others!

Those are the best gifts of all, the kind that multiply through the power of the Spirit. And so, during this

blessed season, let’s celebrate the gifts that God lavished on one of our young House of Hope women,

Christina Wallace.

Here is her story, in her words:

My name is Christina Wallace. I am 22 years old, and I am a new creation in Christ. I am a child of God!

The enemy had his grasp on me at a very young age, and growing up in spiritual bondage didn’t give me the best advantages in life. I was 12 years old the first time I used cocaine. Soon it turned into crack cocaine. I hadn't the slightest clue as to what it was or what it would do to my future. All I knew was that my mother and sister were doing, so I did too. Over the next 9 years I struggled with addiction, anger, depression and anxiety, low self-esteem, molestation, promiscuity, and self-harm. What a diagnosis, right?

By age 20 I had fallen so deep into my addiction that I was now an IV user. I lost my job, my home, and my car. I had enough, I was done. I needed a change. What I needed was God—for God to show up and straighten out in my life,’cause I couldn’t do it alone. On my 21st birthday I entered the House of Hope, and that’s where I learned about God and His Son my savior: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). God made the ultimate sacrifice so that I could be set free! Jesus had felt the pain and torment so that I wouldn’t have to suffer alone. The best part is that Jesus Christ had free will to choose the path he would take, but, because he shared his father’s vision, he withstood the temptation and persecution. Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross, dying for sins he didn't commit. He knew from the beginning that this was to be his destiny and yet still he did it. Our heavenly Father’s will was done and now we can find freedom and life through Jesus Christ!