Imagine a little girl who is so emotionally deprived of affection and nurturing that she suffers from “failure to thrive” syndrome and just stops growing. One might think she is some poor, neglected child in a far away orphanage or third world country but that little girl grew up in a home in North America in an average family that could have been your next door neighbours.
An average family in many ways, except by the time Dawn was four, she had barely escaped death three times and at the hands of her own mother! When her mother was overwhelmed with depression, she devised a plan to take her own life along with her two young children. God intervened each time.
By the time she was fourteen, Dawn was doing street drugs, running away from home, and she had attempted suicide for the first time. Her life continued on a downward spiral. Every road she took led to either heartache or trouble. A sexual assault and another suicide attempt led Dawn to wander from place to place, job to job, and relationship to relationship - always searching for love and meaning and purpose in her life.

Then, in her early twenties, Dawn met him – the One. The one who loves you just as you are. The one who changes you from the inside out so you are never the same again. The one who redeems. The one who heals. The one who understands. The one who sets us free. The one who teaches us how to forgive those who have hurt us - Jesus.
After becoming a Christian and surrendering her life to the Lord, Dawn imagined that the rest of her life would be sweet- a good husband, children, a successful career - blessings all the way! Instead, more heartaches followed - a broken engagement and her father’s suicide for starters. Then, she married a man that turned out to be abusive and she suffered a miscarriage. After a divorce, Dawn raised her children on her own despite financial hardships, health issues, and being stalked by her ex-husband for several years even though she had a restraining order against him.

How can it be that someone who faced extreme adversity and so many life challenges could go on to become a psychotherapist/minister/speaker/author? With God, all things are possible. Jesus said "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NIV)
So, how does one turn their misery into ministry? Their pain into purpose? Their woundedness into well-being?

1. “Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31) Total transformation begins with choosing to believe that Jesus took your place on the cross for your wrongdoings so that you could be in a right relationship with God through His son.

2. Make Jesus L ORD of your life. That means giving Him control of your life and seeking His will over your own. It means trying to fulfill His purposes in your life and being obedient.
3. Renew your mind. (Romans 12:2) Woundedness is usually partnered with believing lies about yourself such as “I am unloveable” or “I will never amount to anything”, so it is vital that you learn to internalize the word of God so that you begin to think with the mind of Christ and that you embrace your identity in Christ. Pray to be able to accept and receive God’s love for you and to be able to love and accept yourself. Then you will truly believe that you “can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” (Phillipians 4:13) Memorize as many bible verses as you can that make you feel loved, secure, and empowered, and apply those scriptures in your life daily.

4. Forgive everyone who has hurt you. Not for their sake, but for your own, and because God says in His word that He will not forgive you your sins if you don’t forgive others. (Matthew 6:14) When you don’t forgive others, they continue to have power over you and you allow them to continue to hurt you because unforgiveness and bitterness can harm you physically, spiritually, and emotionally. When you forgive, you are then able to heal and move forward in your life.

5. Make healthy choices. Choose to believe that God loves you personally, even when you suffer through tragedies, tribulations, and tremendous pain or during those times when God feels distant. Choose to believe in His word, regardless of your circumstances. Choose to look at the rose instead of the thorns. Refuse to give up.

6. Develop a Christian support system: Christian friends, a church that teaches the word and practices the word, and a Pastor and spiritual leaders who live the word in their own lives.
If you would like to read more about Dawn Sutton’s story or access her entire biography/testimony, go to www.sunrisecounselling.com/godsgirl.html. If you would like to have Dawn speak at your church or Christian conference, you can contact dawn at: dawn@sunrisecounselling.com