From Big Red to Big Grace

My testimony doesn’t start with rock bottom—it starts with me hitting the candy display while my mama wasn’t looking.

From time to time, I feel led to share pieces of my own story—not because they’re remarkable, but because they show what Jesus has done for me. My relationship with Him is the anchor of my life: the daily companionship, the steady grace, and the gift of eternal life He gave me long ago, when the guilt of my childhood “larceny” showed me just how much I needed Him.

I’ve had a sweet tooth for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I begged for candy at the checkout line, and my mama always said no. And apparently eight-year-old me decided to take matters into my own hands… literally. I slipped a pack of Big Red under my shirt. The second that spicy cinnamon filled the car, she knew exactly what I’d done. I was crushed with guilt.

A little later, Easter candy displays went up, and once again temptation won. I carried an old purse into the drugstore empty and brought it out full of candy. More guilt. More shame. And a growing fear that I couldn’t stop myself from doing what I knew was wrong.

Not long after, I sat in church listening to a pastor talk about sin. He explained that if you keep sinning, regretting it, and repeating it, you don’t just have a behavior problem—you have a sin problem, and you need a Savior. Jesus forgives, lifts the shame, and gives strength to resist the pull of sin.

At eight years old, my heart said, I want that. I felt Jesus drawing me, and I practically ran to the altar.

The song is true: “Burdens are lifted at Calvary.” The weight of guilt and shame lifted from my little shoulders that day, and I’ve never been the same. Not perfect—but forgiven. Not flawless—but filled with the Holy Spirit, my Comforter, who walks with me every day. God with me, everywhere I go.

So yes, my sweet tooth has given me cavities and a few extra pounds over the years—but it also led me to recognize my need for Jesus. For that, I will always be grateful.

If you sense your own need for a Savior, you can learn more at GotQuestions.org.