A Mighty Long Way

Sheryl, a resident of New Haven, comes from the tougher parts of the city. Her testimony not only gives us a glimpse of a life beyond the walls of Yale, it testifies to the truth that “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5).

My testimony to all: Well, let me start out with, ‘God is a great God!’ and the reason for this is, He’s brought me a mighty long way today.

My life started as a child in horror. My father I never knew. My stepfather was an alcoholic. He was very abusive towards my mother. I watched terrible beatings all my life.

When I turned four, my grandmother who raised me told me I was in a terrible car accident. I suffered three missing ribs on my left side of my ribcage, a torn pancreas, a broken jaw in two places and two broken legs. Well, I survived that accident with God’s help. He was watching over me.

Well, things began to move on as I was bounced from one foster home to another. I left my last foster home at the age of 15. I raised myself in the streets. I turned to drugs, prostitution, and crack. I drank like a pig. All because I wanted love.

In March 30th of 1992, I was in another major car accident. The car took me way up in the air and I landed on my legs. Both of them were crushed. My head was split in the front in 7 fine areas. I lost two and a half pints of blood. They did what is called bone graft surgery, which is when they operate on a certain part of your body and take the bone and split it and put it into an area in your body that needs it. Well, they operated on my hip and took part of it out and put it in one of my legs.

Today I am blessed. The doctor said I would never walk again and that I would not be normal. Today because of Jesus and a miracle I can function normal and I can walk. I walk with a limp for the rest of my life, but at least, I can walk.

Today I am normal. What a miracle! I have been saved now for four years. I am a recovering addict and I love Jesus so much…. I have so much more I can tell you all but it would take a lifetime to say it. So instead I write this much to say, God is real and he lives and he does heal.

I’m a witness. He is alive. I can tell you for proof. And he loves you all just the way you are. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to be a man and you can come to him in pants, shorts, anything. He loves you just the way you are.

Things don’t take overnight. One step at a time. This is what it took for me. So I know He will do it for you also. Well, till we meet. Jesus loves you!

All love in the Lord,