For years, my life was a mess. I made choices that hurt me and deeply wounded my family. I was consumed by things that left me empty, broken, and ashamed. My family could only stand by, watching as I spiraled further out of control. The pain I caused them weighed on me, but I felt powerless to change.

It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom that I realized I couldn’t keep going the way I was. In that moment of desperation, I cried out to God. I didn’t know what He could do for me, but I was willing to surrender. Psalm 34:18 became my reality: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” God didn’t just meet me where I was—He transformed me. He broke the chains of addiction, shame, and hopelessness that had held me captive. Slowly, I began to change. The anger, despair, and self-destruction were replaced with peace, hope, and purpose. 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes it perfectly: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

As God worked in my life, my family started noticing. They saw someone they hadn’t seen in years—a new me emerging. It wasn’t easy at first. There were wounds that needed healing and trust that needed rebuilding. But as I leaned on God, He began to mend what I had broken. What I didn’t expect was how my transformation would impact my family. Seeing the change in me made them curious about the God I had found. Slowly, they began seeking Him for themselves. One by one, they discovered His love and grace. They found refuge in Jesus, just as I had. As a family, we experienced healing in ways we never thought possible. Years of hurt and misunderstandings were replaced with forgiveness and reconciliation. Ezekiel 36:26 came to life for us: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

God didn’t just transform my life—He restored my family. He took our brokenness and made something beautiful. Joel 2:25 reminds us: “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” That’s exactly what He did for us.

Today, my family and I stand as living proof of God’s power to heal and restore. If He can redeem my life and mend my family, He can do the same for anyone.