Reporter: MELISSA HOUSTON

LEARNED EARLY THAT A

SMILE CAN HIDE THE PAIN OR

THE TRUTH.

THE TRUTH WAS SHE WAS

MOLESTED WHEN SHE WAS SIX BY

SOMEONE SHE TRUSTED.

THREATS KEPT HER QUIET.

SHE WAS VIOLATED THREE MORE

TIMES BY THE TIME SHE WAS

11.

AND AGAIN KEPT SILENT.

I FELT NOT NORMAL.

NOT GOOD.

I WASN'T LOVABLE, YOU KNOW.

BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE

SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME HURT

ME.

Reporter: AS A TEEN,

MELISSA DISCOVERED THAT

DRINKING GAVE SOME RELIEF.

SHE ALSO HAD NUMEROUS

BOYFRIENDS, EVEN THOUGH SHE

REFUSED TO HAVE SEX WITH

THEM.

I THINK BECAUSE OF BEING

MOLESTED, I WAS SCARED TO

DEATH OF ANY KIND OF SEXUAL

ANYTHING.

I DIDN'T WANT THAT KIND OF

EXPERIENCE.

I WANTED TO BE BE LOVED.

AND I KNEW THAT THAT WASN'T

LOVE.

Reporter: MELISSA WENT

THROUGH COUNSELLING AND

LOOKED FOR ANSWERS IN

CHURCH.

BUT SHE WAS STILL UNABLE TO

TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT THE

ABUSE.

EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD BECOME A÷

CHRISTIAN, SHE STILL LOOKED

TO MEN TO MAKE THE PAIN GO

AWAY.

SO WHEN SHE WAS OUT OF HIGH

SCHOOL, SHE THOUGHT THE ONLY

SOLUTION WAS TO MARRY.

I LOOKED FOR A HUSBAND

AND FOUND A HUSBAND THAT

DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT

GOD AND COULDN'T LOVE ME THE

WAY I SHOULD BE LOVED, THE

WAY I WANTED TO BE LOVED.

SO THAT WAS MY DESTRUCTIVE

CHOICES.

OKAY, THIS ONE DIDN'T WORK,

LET'S TRY AGAIN.

THIS ONE DIDN'T WORK, LET'S

TRY AGAIN.

THREE TIMES.

Reporter: WHEN

MELISSA'S THIRD HUSBAND

LEFT, SHE LOST ALL INTEREST

IN FINDING ANOTHER MAN.

SHE WAS OVERWHELMED WITH

FEAR FOR HER TWO KIDS

BECAUSE SOON THEY WOULD HAVE

NOWHERE TO LIVE.

MELISSA CALLED OUT TO GOD

FOR HELP.

I FELT LIKE THIS IS IT.

THERE IS NOTHING REDEEMABLE

LEFT OF THIS LIFE.

THERE IS NOTHING TO FIX.

AND NOW I HAVE TWO KIDS THAT

I BROUGHT INTO THIS.

AND I FELT LIKE I CAN'T EVEN

MAKE CHOICES FOR MYSELF.

SO I PRAYED, AND I SAID,

GOD, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING WITH

THIS LIFE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU

WANT THIS LIFE.

BUT IF YOU DO, I'LL GIVE

MYSELF TO YOU.

Reporter: A COUPLE OF

DAYS LATER, HER MOTHER

CALLED AND SAID SHE WAS

COMING FOR A VISIT.

SEEING HER MOM DIDN'T EXCITE

MELISSA BECAUSE THEIR

RELATIONSHIP HAD BEEN

STRAINED FOR YEARS.

BUT HER MOM HAD SINCE BECOME

A CHRISTIAN, AND MELISSA WAS

IN FOR A BIG SURPRISE.

WHEN SHE CAME, SHE WAS

ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, SHE JUST GLOWED WITH

THIS LOVE.

AND SHE SAT WITH ME FOR THAT

WHOLE TWO WEEKS' TIME AND

READ THE BIBLE WITH ME.

AND TOLD ME HOW MUCH GOD

LOVED ME.

AND THAT EVEN THROUGH ALL

THE CHOICES, THAT HE WANTED

TO REDEEM MY LIFE AND HELP

ME LIVE DIFFERENTLY.

AND I WAS AFRAID FOR HER TO

LEAVE.

I REMEMBER SAYING TO HER, I

DON'T WANT YOU TO TAKE JESUS

WITH YOU.

AND SHE SAID, MELISSA, HE

LIVES IN YOU.

Reporter: MELISSA HAS

GONE THROUGH HER UPS AND

DOWNS AS A SINGLE MOM, BUT

SHE HAS FOUND HEALING

THROUGH COUNSELLING AND THE

LOVE OF HER CHRISTIAN

FRIENDS.

SHE HAS FORGIVEN THOSE WHO

HAVE HURT HER, AND KNOWS

THAT ULTIMATELY, SHE HAD TO

MAKE A DECISION.

TO BELIEVE THE OLD LIES OR

BELIEVE GOD.

HE HAS BEEN GOING IN AND

EXPOSING THE WOUNDS, AND

EXPOSING THE SIN, AND SEWING

M -- SHOWING ME WHO I AM

AND WHO HE IS.

AND UNDOING ALL OF THESE

LIES THAT I'M NOT-WORTHY AND

THAT I'M NOT REDEEMABLE AND

THAT I'M NOT GOOD.

AND HE TWISTED ALL OF THAT

AROUND AND SAID, NO, NO.

THIS IS WHAT MY WORD SAYS

ABOUT YOU.

AND THEN CAME THE CHOICE:

YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THIS AND

NOW WALK WITH ME, OR GO BACK

TO THIS.

AND THIS WAS NEVER AN

OPTION.

ONCE I SAID I'M WITH YOU,

GOD, THEN THAT'S WHAT I

MEANT.

Reporter: MELISSA MOVED

HER FAMILY TO BE CLOSE TO

HER MOM AND STEPDAD.

SHE WENT ON TO BECOME A

HAIRDRESSER AND NOW HAS HER

OWN BUSINESS.

EVERY DAY SHE REMINDS

HERSELF OF GOD'S LOVE AND

SHARES IT WITH OTHERS.

HE SAYS THAT HE KNEW ME

BEFORE HE EVER FORMED ME.

AND HE CHOSE ME.

AND HE KNOWS EVERYTHING

ABOUT ME.

AND STILL WENT TO THE CROSS

WITH ME IN HIS HEART.

THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON THAT

I WANTED TO SHARE THIS,

BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO

HAVE HOPE IN HIM.