Jessica's Story

This is another testimony about how the power of God's Love can influence, save and change lives.  These really are amazing stories that we encourage you to read and share.  This one is a little bit different than Haley's Story but it still shows how when we are weak, God is strong and will pull us through.

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This is the actual story sent to us by Jessica:

"When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future."  -Bernard Meltzer

That is my favorite quote, because i have realized you have to forgive and forget the things in your past to soldier on into the future. My name is jessica. I am 16 years old, and a sophomore at boardman high school. My story starts when i was 4 years old. I had my mind made up for me.. i started getting sexually molested by someone very close to me, my grandfather. He would make me give him oral sex and in exchange he would take me to the park or buy me stuff. IF i didn't he would threaten me or hit me. When i was 5, my brother died, he was still born. The sexual molesting didn't stop until i was 11 years old, and i moved away. Being sexually molested had a huge impact in my life, making me feel like i was in a state of ecstasy, giggling for no reason. But at the age of 15, our school had a formal dance and i went with my two best friends. I thought it was going to be the most fun i had ever had, but it didn't end that way. Everything was going well until i went down stairs while my friends were sleeping. Her 63 year old father was sitting on the couch. He told me the bathroom upstairs wasn't working. So i followed him to the basement. Worst decision, but how was i supposed to know? That is where he raped me. My savior was when his daughter called him, asking where i was. I was able to escape out the basement window and run to my boyfriends house of 2 years. About just 3 court hearings later he was charged with rape and sentenced to 32 years in prison without parol. That will make him 95 if he gets out. But during all this, i had discovered that the only thing that made me happy was drugs. I had gotten addicted to Marijuana and Cocaine. I knew that is not how i wanted to live my life. I was checked into rehab, where i was first introduced to God. I had went to church in the past but i never really paid attention. Anyways, In rehab i learned that you have to put your faith in God and everything will be okay. I had gotten over my drug addiction, being molested and raped, and also the death of a loved one. Where faith is there is courage, i had gotten the courage to talk to my rapist. God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them and with one step one prayer, I soldier on. I moved back to Boardman in October of 2007. But more bad news hit, My boyfriend of 2 and a 1/2 years overdosed in January. I slipped into a depression, but i made myself believe that it could all get better. I started going to church again, and hanging out with people a lot more. My best friend had helped me throughout all of this. She helped me find myself and God again. I had all these delusions in my head and my mind made up for me. And all those tapes in my head swirled around. Kept my vibe down. All those thoughts in my head weren't my own. I realized that it barely makes sense why it happened to me for now so I'm gonna fake it, and I'm pseudo making it. But God has a plan for everybody. I believe we are all put through challenges, were tested in life, and things happen for reasons. I hope to Inspire people, and make them believe that whatever has happened in life, you can overcome it if you just put your trust and faith in God.