A story of forgiveness

Last week I had the opportunity to hear the story of one woman and how God's love and forgiveness changed her life. We met this woman who we will call Tanya at a rehab center that she and her husband run. Tanya grew up in an orphanage as a result of her parents alcoholism and being unable to take care of her and her siblings.   Once she became 16 the orphanage would no longer keep her and put her on the streets (technically orphanages are suppose to help the kids find work and a place to live but this one lied).  She would then move from sibling to sibling and live with them and help raise their children but would usually end of leaving as alcohol would overtake her family.  Tanya and her sister needed money and decided to rob a house and in the process ended up killing the owner.  Tanya would end up committing two murders and eventually turned herself into the police.  She was sentenced to 11 years in prison.  During the first eight years she attempted suicide multiple times.  On her last try she pulled the covers up over her head after lights out and prepared to cut the artery in her neck.  That is when she described seeing a light and a mans voice (which was God) telling her not to kill herself and repeated a verse from the Bible (she didn't know about the Bible then).  The next thing she remembers is it being morning, as the night had past in five minutes.  A few days later a group came into the prison to share the gospel.  Tanya heard it and as they were leaving began to beg the people to come back and share more with her about God and salvation.  They told her they would be back in a few days, but Tanya told them she didn't have days.  Tanya became a believer and asked God to forgive her of her sins and come into her heart.  She said that she had spent time trying to clear her conscious of the crimes she had committed and that once becoming saved that God had forgiven her and she was now clean.  From that point on she made a 180 and began sharing the gospel with the other women in prison.  Tanya was released from prison and since being out of prison for about a year and a half has married a believer, they have a small child and they felt God calling them to work at the rehab center and now help men become sober and are sharing the gospel with them and seeing people come to faith.  Tanya continues to grow in her faith with the Lord and share the good news.

Her story was moving and was a reminder that God's forgiveness is vast and good and that it is not by our own good works but by Christ.  It also showed me that no matter what we did in our past God sees us as forgiven through the blood of Christ.  Our sins whether we committed them physically or in our hearts are all the same and we all must ask for forgiveness.