Blog
Abuse and torture victim finds healing
Sam Almond has had a bumpy road to travel since the day that her parents decided to get divorced. She has been beaten, abused, tortured and nearly killed, but Sam still has the faith and the energy to keep moving forward.
"When I was young, a lot of traumatic situations happened which made me
rebel," Sam shares openly in a You Tube video. "As a teenager, I started
smoking and drinking and running away from school and from home. I thought
I knew best and refused to listen to anyone."
At the age of sixteen, Sam met a 24-year-old man and started a relationship
with him. At first everything seemed fine but then things soured.
She tells of a scary experience in which she thought she was going to die.
Fortunately, her boyfriend then left. Sam had to crawl down three flights of
stairs to the police station, where she pressed charges.
"Every time I left him, he would torture me," Sam relates tearfully. "I felt that I
couldn't get away. I always felt scared for my life. I would have panic attacks."
However, after the last incident, Sam knew she had to stay away or she would
be killed. She stayed with various friends and ended up crashing with someone
who had a cousin called Shane.
"One day, Shane walked in," Sam remembers with a smile. "I had an instant
attraction to him. I later found out that he had an instant attraction to me.
Shane's mom gave me his phone number, telling me to text him. So I did."
During their conversations, Shane went on and on about Jesus and even asked
Sam to come to church.
Sam was very reluctant to go to church, but she finally decided to give it a go.
While there, a woman stood up and said, "God woke me up last night to tell me
that someone here today has suffered with a lot of things in their life. God just
wants you to know that He loves you and wants to be your Father." Sam knew
those words were for her.
After a few weeks, Sam once again went to church with Shane. An ex-terrorist
from Ireland had come to speak and share his story.
"After he had given his testimony," Sam states, "he asked people to come to
the front if they wanted to know more about God, so I did. I got up and gave
my life to Jesus. I went back to my seat and said to Shane, 'I've given my life'.
He wouldn't believe me at first."
"After being together for a little bit, Shane and I struggled sexually," Sam
confesses, "we had sex before marriage. Our old pastor, Rob, pulled us aside
and rebuked us, saying that we needed to confess our sin to God. We went
home, read the Scriptures, and got really upset. We decided we needed to listen
and deal with our sin."
Another time they needed $495, which they didn't have, to finish off paying for
the wedding. They prayed, "Lord, You've seen our hearts; how we want to
honor marriage. Please help us with this last bit of money." A few days later, a
check arrived for the exact amount.
Sam is so grateful to God for restoring everything that she has lost and blessing
her bountifully.
"Shane and I now have 5 children, Angel, Grace, Isaac, Jacob, and Elijah," Sam
says in conclusion; "Life has its ups and downs and struggles do come along but
knowing Jesus makes life so much easier. I know that because of God I have a
great loving husband and a wonderful family.
"I used to think of church in a religious way, but it's not true. God comes for the
imperfect. Thank you Jesus for Your mercy and grace and for dying on the cross
for me!"
Read More ...
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 8)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 7)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 6)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 5)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 4)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 3)
Stay Connected ...
Newsletters come out once per month. Keep up to date, pray, be inspired. Connect below to receive it.
Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.
Menu
International Offices
Australia
