Proverbs 16: 33 We may throw the dice,but the LORD determines how they fall.

The other day I heard from a dear friend of mine who was excited about my website and my book. She is a very sweet girl and her message took me back to how we became acquainted years ago. I am a firm believer in God’s Sovereignty over all aspects of our lives so I know our connection was not by chance but part of the Lord’s master plan. Proverbs 16: 33 We may throw the dice,[a]but the LORD determines how they fall.

Let’s go back to September 2006, this was the first time I ever shared or spoke publically. I was only speaking for 5-10 minutes but in that time I would share with my church that I was a recovering drug addict and had been to prison for the first time. I was so nervous but the Lord was with me directing my steps. After sharing I was embraced by the congregation, I was overwhelmed by the kindness and acceptance I received. This was a true picture of what church should be, I did not experience any judgment. I received more hugs that day than in my entire life. It was at New Hope Christian Church in Wylie and God did some amazing things through that service two of which I heard about later . 

That evening Kerri and Dan Jenson stopped by my house to tell me something that had happened after the service that day.

(Dan and Kerri are the parents of Alex Jensen who died tragically in a snow skiing accident on December 28, 2004, his death as tragic and heartbreaking as it was led me and many others to the Lord! (I just realized today is the anniversary of his death) I will be forever grateful for the impact the Jensen’s have had on my life and God certainly brought good from this tragic situation. Romans 8: 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them)

Dan told me that after the service a man they didn’t know walked up to them and said he had just stopped by the church, he had not planned on it but he drove by and stopped. He had just been released from prison for drug charges and had just buried his father the day before. As he was talking to Dan he pulled out a baggie containing drugs. He had planned on getting high but after the service decided to destroy his drugs. Dan then prayed for him. I don’t know what happened to that man after that day and I don’t know if anyone else does but I was so blessed to hear that story of how God worked through my mistakes and failures to help someone else. It was so very powerful!!!

The next thing that happened resulted in a lasting friendship and relationship that I cherish. This letter says it all and I am so thankful to Rebecca for writing it and sharing her pain and healing with me and letting me share it with others. God is quite amazing. As I have said before I believe when we get to Heaven we will meet many people whose lives we have touched and didn’t even realize it. We will each have our own “It’s a Wonderful Life” experience. I have been so blessed to have that experience in this lifetime and I am so very thankful for the relationships I have developed which have all been part of God’s master plan. Here is the special letter I received from Rebecca, I love her so and am so proud of her:)

My road to recovery started one Sunday night in September 2006. I had missed church that morning because I had went with my Father instead. I had been attending New Hope, in Wylie every Sunday for a couple of months at this point. It had become something that I desperately needed to attend to get through the week. New Hope had started posting their sermons on-line for people to listen to. I decided to get on-line and catch up on the sermon that I had missed. I was surprised at how emotional I had gotten from this service. I honestly do not know how I would have held up if I was at church that morning. I would have needed extra tissue for sure.

Susan had shared her testimony that day at church. I did not know Susan at the time I heard her on-line but I knew that I had to meet her. At this point in my life, I was using drugs and had come to a point that I needed change in my life. I was worn down emotionally and physically and I was only 23. I was dealing with issuses of divorce, rape, law suits, a bad break-up and had been working at a gentleman's club since I was 17. For five or six years I had dealt with a lot. From the outside I always looked strong but I was very hurt inside. I did not know what I was going to do, but I did know that drugs could not and would not be an option for me anymore. It started out just drinking and I had turned to hard drugs as an escape from my problems. This only caused more problems and I had become a person that I hated. I was having frequent car wrecks. I was getting traffic tickets that I was not taking care of and the list goes on. It was just getting worse every day.

Listening to Susan's story made my problems seem so small. Our problems and pasts were different but same in the way that in which we coped with our problems. I had been through and dealt with more than a lot of people my age. I thought that if there was hope for Susan, there was hope for me. Within a few weeks I had a friend at church introduce me to Susan. I told her that I listened to her story and that she was awesome. To see her smile and for her to know that her past helped me was awesome. I ended up going to Susan's hometeam through church and opening up about my life and sharing things that I normally would keep to myself. I listened to her and loved how open and honest she was. I was so comfortable with that group of people. Nothing I said would have made them judge me in a bad way. I talked about Susan pretty much everyday to anyone who would listen. I even burned the sermon onto a CD and I would make evryone listen. If they did not want to listen, they did anyway. I still have that same CD to this day.

It was about one week after I heard Susan's testimony that I stopped using drugs and I have been clean ever since. I know that Susan's story was just the first step to my recovery. Three months later my Mother was diagnosed with inflamatory breast cancer. She fought for almost three years before the cancer took her life. If I had not heard Susan's testimony and had her influence in my life and turned to God I do not know if I would have handled the death of my Mother as well as I did. I honestly do not even have words to describe how much Susan really has helped me. When I feel like I am backsliding in my faith, I have to stop and remember where I was just five years ago. It is easy to sometimes forget the good things that we have done to overcome the evil of our pasts. Susan is doing more and more to spread the word of God to help people. Even the women in prison get to hear her story. I am very thankful that I never had to meet her there. I could have easily gone in that direction. Those women are so lucky to have Susan in their life and to hear her story. Susan is such a strong, loving and beautiful person inside and out. Her drug addiction is her past and that is what made her into the beautiful person that she is today. I love her very much.

Rebecca Burns

Comments

[Lisa Smith]

Wow, I am just catching up on your blog. I don't know how I missed so many of them. I know Rebecca and I had no idea that she has been through so much. I see her life today and I know how happy she is. That she is going to be a mommy and she will be awesome I am sure. I just love to see and hear how many lives you have impacted and hear about their changes because you are so open and transparent. It really is great to see how it changed a life of someone I know and love. I have said it before and I will say it again. You are amazing and I love you.