“Home at Last” (Day 28)

Verse of the Day
“As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live your lives in him.” — Colossians 2:6


New day. New beginning. New hope. That is my story.

I was born and raised in Massachusetts. On the outside, life looked fine. Inside our home, it was very different. My father was strict. Fear filled the house. By age six, I had my first drink. By twelve, I was using drugs. By fourteen, I was in a gang. I was not living—I was escaping.

In school, I learned prayers, but I did not know God. I stole, lied, and numbed my pain. Later, I joined the Air Force, hoping for a new start. But addiction followed me. Rehab, relapse, and brokenness became my pattern.

Somehow, I stayed sober for many years—but without God at the center. Then loss came. My mother passed. I relapsed. I married late in life, but addiction took everything from us. My husband died suddenly. I was crushed, angry at God, and ready to give up.

Years later, I came to Maine. I was alone, staying in a motel, holding onto what little I had. I walked into a small church. People welcomed me. Still, my heart was closed.

Then COVID came. Everything stopped. In the quiet, something changed. One day, I felt it—like God put His arm around me. I knew then: He had never left me.

Today, I am different. I have a church family. I am learning the Bible for the first time. I have real friendships. I have hope.

Looking back, I see it clearly now—God was with me in every moment. Even in my darkest days, He was holding me.

And today, I can say this with peace: I am home at last. - Denice Jutras

Thought for the Day
Where in your life might God have been with you—even when you did not see Him?


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