For most of her life, Karen Mruz had been filling the parts of her soul and heart with things that made her feel good. She thought when she had the new things or wore the new clothing, she could feel good. However, the feeling wouldn’t last long. She would have to go searching for the next item or person to make her feel good. Over and over. When she gave her life to Jesus, she understood for the first time that nothing on the outside could make her feel good on the inside and forever. It was only Jesus. Jesus saved her from her addiction but most importantly, freed her from the lie.
“Jesus saved me from addiction,” Karen shared. “From alcohol, shopping ... Everything. I was using those things to pump me up on the outside. I thought if the outside looked pretty, hopefully the inside would follow too. It never does. It never happens that way. When I gave my life to Jesus, afterward I gave away bags and bags of my clothing. Jesus showed me my illness and where my effort had been spent. Jesus showed me a lot of truth about me that I didn’t like. I either needed to change or live like that, but I knew it would catch up to me though. He won’t leave me but told me to leave my stuff. Literally. All I had to do was hold on to him. As I have released it to him, he has given me freedom. The freedom to now help others, the church, and serve at AAA or a shelter.”
Citylight Church has been her church home for over seven years. God has provided Karen a community who walks through life with her. A few months ago, Karen had to make a move that was unexpected. She felt very vulnerable especially as an older person and one who is physically disabled. She knew she couldn’t do it on her own.
“Packing up a 3-floor house to move into a one bedroom in someone else’s house was daunting,” Karen confessed. “Also, I didn’t know where I was going to go. I applied for a low-income apartment, and they told me I was approved and then when it got down to signing the lease, I was $36 over the national poverty level. He was leading me somewhere else. I kept asking God to open the doors where they should be opened and close the doors that needed closed. There were a few places I wanted to be, but it didn’t work out. Now, the place I am living in is next door to a close friend at Citylight. She is the one that told me about the owner who is now my landlord. I found it on the 29th of the month and I was supposed to be out of my old place on the 30th.”
Now that Karen knew where she was going, how was she going to get there? She couldn’t move her belongings by herself. That’s when her church family stepped in again. A few people gave their day and brawn along with a way to move her items.
“One Godsend was on my move day there was a guy who showed up to help me that I didn’t know,” Karen exclaimed with a smile. “He heard about it and showed up on a bike from the shelter. He stayed all day. That’s God’s church! This guy gave his whole day for me. He has nothing.”
Karen would say that if you need evidence that there is a loving God, all you need to do is look at her life. God has saved her and has provided for her over and over.
“To know that God is real and right there just look,” Karen concluded. “And keep on looking for him. If you can’t see him in your life, you will see him working in someone else’s life.”
Karen loves her church. God has saved her, and He is good. It is his goodness that now fills the parts of her soul and heart making her feel good on the inside, now and forever.