A preacher’s kid. A daughter whose parents were very involved in church. But by 16 years old, she left home feeling cheated that the church had stolen her parents from her.
Tonya Craig spent decades trying to numb the pain from her childhood.
“They weren’t involved in me. And that’s the part that hurt,” she said.
Decades of damaged self-esteem, bad relationships, and two failed marriages left her believing that God could never love her.
“I was married twice before–very abusive relationships. And didn’t feel good about myself at all,” she said.
Until the day she saw herself reach into the communion basket at church and take a cup. In a moment, years of pain, anger and shame began to crumble at the Communion table.
In a moment, years of pain, anger and shame began to crumble at the Communion table.
“The communion experience was so important to me because growing up as a preacher’s kid, I got real confused in my identity with God versus my identity with my earthly father,” she explained.
One moment of surrender erased years of distance between her and the Cross. Communion no longer represented pain and confusion. Instead, the bread and the cup quickened a living relationship with the Lover of her soul.
“Being able to feel that connection with God was just so overwhelming. I just wept,” she said.
One moment changed the direction of her story – a story that now dawns with hope for the future.
Watch Tonya's story here:
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” Proverbs 4:18.
