Rosemary’s Story

One day, in trauma class, we were talking about forgiveness, something that I had not been able to do alone. At that moment, I realized that forgiveness is what was missing in my walk with God. I had not fully surrendered my suffering and went on to realize the process of forgiveness would bring a kind of peace that I was missing to help me go on with my life. I didn't know how to forgive. I didn't know forgiveness was a process and not an event, that I had to work through my emotional problems before I could truly forgive.

 God has completely changed everything in my life. He has led me to peace, understanding and love like nothing else ever could or nothing else ever has. God knows me, every part of me, and loves me completely, just as he does everyone else. We are all his children. We just have to accept His love.

My outlook on life changed drastically as I’ve begun my walk with God. I have learned to trust, forgive, surrender, and most importantly, love myself. The love God has shown me humbled me in a way that only God could have done. I can genuinely say I love others as God loves me.

I've experienced for the first time in my life a feeling of complete freedom. Even after the judge sentenced me to 10 years in prison, I could honestly say, at that moment, for the very first time, I finally felt free. I felt free because other than prison, I was given the opportunity to come here to the Visalia Rescue Mission. And I knew, in my heart, that God had heard my prayers, that he chose me to save me from the hell that I was living. Today, I can say that I am happy. This is the most peace I have ever experienced and I only have God to thank for this.

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