This Is Not a Test

She couldn't remember how she got there. She couldn't remember what happened. She didn't even know her own name. All she could remember was pain and fear. It was loud, and it was dark. There were voices all around her, though none of them seemed to be speaking to her. She called out for help, but the words never reached past her lips... Ashley was getting more comfortable telling her story. It started as an email, then a journal entry, and finally the story in front of her that was just begging to reach beyond her computer screen. Just begging for her voice to finally be heard. Forced to confront her faith "head-on," Ashley discovered that God had been with her from the beginning. Most importantly, she learned about His love and His grace. The revelation that she was somebody worth dying for on the cross gave Ashley a sense of belonging and acceptance that she had been searching for her entire life. She saw that her life had meaning, and that every trial and scar that she had endured had a very important purpose.