A New Woman

     Today I went to a conference in Tucson, Arizona and a woman named Sandra Tesch spoke. I've included her bio below. It was strange to hear a Christian speak at a state government conference. Her message was essentially about forgiveness. After all the awful events of her life, she was able to finally release her bitterness and pain, through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

     The biography leaves out the painful, disfiguring procedures she had to endure to "fix" her heavily scarred face, being spit on and stared at by people in public, and the unexplained sudden death of her daughter. How does someone survive a life so full of misery? Only by giving her life back to her Maker and asking to have a chance to be born again, to start fresh, and become a new woman in Christ. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Sandra Tarlen Tesch
Sandra Tarlen Tesch’s life story is a powerful example of forgiveness. Sandra has shared her message of “Victim to Victory” on radio and TV, with various organizations and churches, and as a speaker for many retreats across America and beyond.

As a four year old she received first, second, and third degree burns to her face in a gasoline fire. Though severely scarred and cruelly treated by other children, Sandra maintained a secret dream of becoming beautiful. However, many surgeries through the years resulted in more fear and pain. Because she was raised in an abusive home filled with emotional turmoil, she believed no one loved her. Hurt and rejection became her constant companions. After being sexually molested by an elderly neighbor and gang raped at age 12, she was filled with bitterness and hate. Seeking to soothe her inner pain led her to anorexia, bulimia, migraines, ulcers, alcohol and drug abuse, and two suicide attempts. Sandra had two children by age 17 and four divorces by age 25. Life seemed hopeless.

After a powerful spiritual experience in 1982 she had a dramatic change in her heart along with a new desire to live. She was able to move from being a victim of many circumstances to a victor over them. Bitterness and hate were replaced with love and compassion. Emotional peace and the healing of relationships followed. Sandra was able to forgive the ones who hurt, abused, and rejected her. Since then she has had a heart to help others find freedom, peace, love and forgiveness through speaking, counseling and teaching, much of which has been done in prisons. http://www.vcli.org/prison-ministry/