I Followed the World’s Ways – Until I Lost Control

I Followed the World’s Ways – Until I Lost Control I Followed the World’s Ways – Until I Lost Control

I’m Elaine Kidd and this is my story.

I grew up on a farm and led a pretty sheltered life out in thecountry with very few neighbors. I was overweight and theworld kept screaming at me that I had to lose weight. Thinwas all that was acceptable. Needless to say I tried every fad dietthat came down the road — with very little success. Tried as I mightI just could not shed the weight. I almost came to the point ofaccepting the fact that I would never be thin.

When I was old enough to drive and had access to a car, all of asudden I had friends that never acknowledged me before. Ididnít know then that all they were interested in was achauffeur. I took them to parties that I would have never beeninvited to on my own merit. I felt loved and needed, so I stuck withthem, knowing that some of the things that were taking place I reallydid not want to be part of.

Then one night I took my friends to a party in Allentown. I metthis guy that complimented me on my good looks. He said if I wouldjust lose some weight I would be a knockout. Well, I just looked athim and laughed and said I had tried everything under the sun, andthen some, to lose weight, and that. I hadnít been verysuccessful. He replied that he had something that would help me loseweight. He said he was so sure this would work that he would give memy first 30 hits for free. I was skeptical but like a dummy I tookthem and tried them. To my surprise they worked like a charm. I hadno appetite and actually I had no desire for food at all.Later I discovered that I was taking a drug theycalled uppers. But by that time I had started to lose weight, andpeople were complimenting me on my weight loss. To be truthful, Ireally enjoyed the attention I was receiving.

Well in no time at all, I was taking more and more uppers sothat my weight loss would continue. Before long it got harderand harder to come up with the increasing amount of money I needed tosupply my addiction. I started working at a young age for my parents’business, so I had money. But, it was slowly disappearing. I tookmore and more uppers to keep my weight loss going. Beforelong I realized that I was not in control of my life. The pillswere.

Since I did not have much of a spiritual upbringing, I was kind ofsurprised that I would look to God for help. I prayed and askedGod that if He was out there, would He help me. But since Goddid not drop an angel out of heaven to help me, I continued to dealwith my problem the best way that I could. I found myself agreeing tomove to Florida with another girl.

Nancy and I drove my car to Jacksonville, Florida. When wearrived, Nancy went with her boyfriend to his apartment. Theyarranged for me to stay with two other guys in their apartment. Bythis time I was doing many things that I was not proud of, and Ireally was grateful that I had not been caught.

Four months after moving to Florida, there came a knock at thedoor. I answered the door to find a man calling himself BrotherJohnny, from Harvest Baptist Church. He asked me if I were todie today, would I spend eternity in heaven or hell! Iquickly answered him “In hell”. He asked if he couldcome in and talk to me? I said I could care less! When I turned toshow him the sofa, I could see my roommates racing for the back door.

There I was, all alone with the local outreach director of thechurch. We must have argued for several hours over whether or not Iwould go to heaven. I told him I had done a lot of things that I wassure that God could not forgive. Brother Johnny was just asadamant that God could forgive me. I told him about sin aftersin – and he showed me in the bible that God would forgive that sin.So I decided to trust Him. I asked God to forgive me of mysins, and to help me to get on the right road and staythere. From that point on, the bad started to fall away andbe replaced by the good.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ could take a sinner like me,and make me beautiful. Maybe not in the worldís eyes,but in Godís eyes I am beautiful. John 16:33 says, Thesethings I have spoken unto you, that in me, ye might have peace. Inthe world ye shall have tribulation: But be of good cheer, I haveovercome the world.

If you would like to know more about the Savior that changedElaine’s life, you are welcome to attend the

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