Beauty for Ashes

Mary’s life spiraled from church pews to crack houses, from innocence to addiction and prostitution. But in her darkest moment, Jesus met her with healing and restoration, proving that beauty for ashes isn’t just a promise—it’s a reality. This powerful testimony reveals how God’s grace can redeem any past and restore the future of those who call on Him.

 

The Domino that Knocked Everything Else Down

Mary, a friend of Inspiration Ministries, shares her uplifting story of loss, drugs, and prostitution … and how God rescued and restored her on the floor of a crack house.

Mary was eight years old when she gave her heart to Christ. “Most of my childhood memories revolve around church,” she says. “We not only were in church every Sunday morning, but also Sunday night, Wednesday night, and for special events.”

She loved being in church, especially because her grandfather was the pastor. Sometimes she would get up in front of church and sing a special song.

But just four years later, when Mary was 12, her adored grandfather died, causing everything in her world to be shaken. Looking back, she sees her grandfather’s death as the domino chip that knocked everything else down, causing a cascade of pain and poor choices.

Mary’s mom fell into the grip of drugs, leaving for days with no notice. Eventually, she left and never returned. Mary was put in the state’s custody that year after cutting herself and getting into fights. Bouncing between foster homes and psych wards, there was no stability in her life.

“When I was 15 years old, I ran away, thinking I would find freedom,” Mary recalls. However, running away turned out to be another shovel that dug her deeper and deeper into captivity.

“After I ran away, a friend introduced me to an older guy who raped me,” she shares. “It was my first sexual encounter, and after that night, I felt lost and alone. I was absolutely convinced I was worthless.”

From Pain to Prostitution

Things got worse before they got better.

“Everything changed when I turned 18,” Mary says. “My brother was killed in a drunk-driving car wreck, and I thought, I’ve already lost so much. How much more can I lose?”

Soon after, Mary met a man she quickly fell in love with. She admits, “If he had asked me to jump off a bridge, I would have done it. That’s how crazy I was about him, almost like being hypnotized.”

Soon Mary’s “Prince Charming” introduced her to ecstasy, the date-rape drug. Then he began to prostitute her. “One night he handed me over from one man to another, and I was so drugged up that I couldn’t even move my body away from them. I just laid there,” Mary says as she describes the first time she was prostituted.

After that night, she resigned herself to a sordid life as an escort and prostitute. Although she had lost touch with God, Mary sometimes could sense His protection in the midst of her dangerous lifestyle. Some other prostitutes on her street had gotten killed by the men they slept with, but she was kept safe from serious harm.

God Came to Her Rescue

One Friday night, Mary had gotten high on crystal meth and found herself on the floor of an old crack house. As she looked up to the ceiling, she knew she had hit rock bottom in every sense of the word. This clearly wasn’t the life she had hoped for—nor the life her grandpa had wanted for her.

Mary began calling on the Lord, the Savior she knew as a child, desperately looking for a way out of her misery.

Beautifully, God came to her rescue.

“Lying on the floor of the crack house, I started weeping sorrowfully, and God met me there!” Mary exclaims. “The next day, I went to a local homeless shelter for the very first time, and on Sunday I boarded a bus with some others from the shelter and went to church.”

This happened to be Easter weekend and Resurrection Sunday—a wonderful time to experience a new beginning with God. “At the church service, I prayed and was delivered from my destructive lifestyle,” Mary says. As she rededicated her life to the Lord, she heard Him whisper to her, “It is finished!”

Mary’s New Life

Now, Mary is a strong woman of God and a friend of Inspiration Ministries. “I follow your ministry on Facebook,” she explains. “David Cerullo’s teaching videos are very inspirational and anointed, and they have really strengthened my walk with the Lord.”

Mary’s new life includes a transformed image of herself, as well as the blessing of two beautiful children. Rising up from the ashes of her destructive choices, she has discovered her worth as a beloved child of her Heavenly Father.

Mary has now written an autobiography of her incredible journey to faith to show others how Christ can heal their pain and save them from addiction. “The love of Jesus rescued me from sin and death,” she explains. “Now I want to share my story so others will realize that God can rescue them or their loved ones, no matter how far they’ve strayed from His will. The Lord promises in Romans 10:13 that He will rescue anyone who cries out to Him, just as He did for me.”

As God rescued Mary, He can rescue YOU or your loves ones.

No matter how far you may have fallen, you can call out to Him right where you are. He will forgive you, set you free, and give you a new life!

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You’re not who you used to be … and your journey is just beginning! Step into what’s next.