“As far as the east is from the west, so far has (God) removed our transgressions from us.” – Psalm 103:12
By Beverly Lomosad
By the age of 14, Cristina Baker had started drinking, using drugs, and frequenting bars. Returning home after an all-night out when she was 15, she was told by her stepfather and mother she must move out. She was soon put on a one-way ticket flight to her biological father in Maui, Hawaii. She waited at the airport for about six hours before he showed up, their first meeting in 10 years. A lot had apparently transpired in the life of Cristina’s dad that she didn’t know about, including that he had become a cocaine addict and was now living in a tent on a beach. After learning of her predicament, family members brought her to Houston, Texas. But a drug-addicted goth teenager proved too much for any family member to handle, and she ended up bouncing around from house to house to house before she was shipped off to Pennsylvania. There, she became pregnant by a drug-dealer boyfriend. Her drug use continued even after she had given birth to a son and became a mother.
One night, a traffic stop turned into an arrest when it became obvious to the police officer she was under the influence of drugs while driving. At work, while out on bail, dejected at the prospect of going to prison, she agreed to go with a colleague to a prayer meeting, where she ended up giving her life to Christ as her Lord and Savior.
Three months passed after that, and her court date arrived. Cristina arranged to speak with the district attorney (DA) outside the courtroom with her lawyer. In a brief meeting, she essentially told the DA: “I’ve given my life to Jesus, and I’m now a new person. God has changed my life, and I wasn’t the same person in that car the night I got arrested.” In a terse reply, the DA said, “Look, we all make some mistakes sometimes. Have a great day.” She had only been inside the courtroom for about 15 minutes when her lawyer walked up to her and held up a yellow piece of paper – it was an order of dismissal. “In a very personal way,” Cristina said, “I’ve come to understand the message of the cross. That piece of paper represented my ‘go-and-sin-no-more’ moment with Christ” (John 8:2-11, NKJV). “That piece of paper represented God’s grace in my life. I’ve received forgiveness I didn’t deserve.” (Psalm 103:10-12)
CALL TO ACTION
A life with God starts with a relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
- PRAY OUT LOUD: “Father in heaven, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that he died on the cross for my sins. I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins. I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Savior and Lord. Amen.”
- WHAT’S NEXT: Be part of a good, Bible-based church.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the New International Version of the Bible.