From Prostitute to Chaplain

Announcer: 0:01

It's time now to get the hell out of your life. A weekly broadcast with real people sharing real struggles and offering real hope. Today's show will encourage, inspire and empower you to face life's challenges with a full confidence and renewed hope. Now let's join our host, ron Myers. The Provider.

Ron Meyers: 0:21

Hello, my friends, it is so good to be with you. Often, we think we make so many mistakes that God could never use us. Well, that's not true. Today you're going to hear Sarah's story, a story of abuse, prostitution, drug addiction and then redemption. Sarah, i'm so glad you stopped by the studios today. How are you doing? Hi, i'm great. Well, it's so good to see you. I got your story a few weeks ago and, wow, what a story. Tell me, tell the listeners, what's your story.

Sarah Butler: 0:53

Well, thank you very much for having me. My name is Sarah Butler and I have lived in South Mississippi pretty much my entire life. I was born into a very poor family. When I was very, very young yes, around three or four years old was being sexually abused by my uncle, who lived at my grandmother's house. My grandmother kept us a lot when I was younger, and this went on until I started school. My mom didn't find out, so I grew up immediately. When I was very young, the enemy had already started trying to throw stuff at me.

Ron Meyers: 1:35

Now who's the enemy?

Sarah Butler: 1:36

The enemy is Satan.

Ron Meyers: 1:37

Oh, okay. Well, I didn't know if it meant your uncle.

Sarah Butler: 1:40

Well, he was using him as part of his tool. So as I was growing up, i had a lot of verbal abuse, physical abuse in the home with my mother, and that is the only relationship that I saw. So I thought that that was what a relationship was supposed to look like. And so my father he left also when I was very, very young. So I had rejection wounds, abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse from a very, very early age. We get into my teenage years and it was very hard for me at a young age to connect with people and to have those healthy relationships or friendships. So I really didn't have a lot and we moved around. So I really didn't have anyone that was like a best friend or anything like that. So in my teenage years we finally moved to a nice, stable home. I think I was in ninth grade and my best friend she lived on the next street. We were like sisters, we were inseparable And she was my best friend for years. And I'll never forget my junior year in high school. My best friend got killed in a car accident.

Ron Meyers: 2:55

Oh, my goodness.

Sarah Butler: 2:56

So it was trauma, tragedy, one thing after another when I was growing up. I did not have a normal childhood, a normal teenage years, nothing my entire life. So when that happened, i immediately started turning to alcohol, marijuana use. I just I didn't want to deal with it. I didn't want to feel the hurt, i didn't want to feel the pain. And when I was a teenager it was very strange because I knew what had happened to me when I was a child, but the memories weren't there. So when I was about 18 or 19 years old, it was just like a ton of bricks came at me and those flashbacks started coming one after another out of nowhere. So I went into heavier drug use because I couldn't tolerate it. Doctors couldn't help me, they couldn't do anything for me. They didn't know what it was at the time This is before PTSD was a thing. So I just turned to heavy drug use and that heavy drug use led to tons of promiscuity in my life And eventually I ended up working in a strip club, which led me to even deeper drug use. Just to get through the shifts, i would have to drink, i would have to do smoke, weed, do cocaine, methamphetamines, mdma. I was doing acid. If there was anything on the market that could have numb my pain at the time, i was doing it. And eventually I ended up as an IV drug user as well And I was living in the pits of hell and there was no hope, there was no light, like I had just grown up in this cycle of poverty and abuse and it was so dark and I didn't see any hope whatsoever. My first marriage he was a firefighter for Long Beach for about 12 years and we tried to make as much of a normal marriage as we could. He came from a broken past as well, as did I, so it was just turmoil and chaos. It was very toxic, but we tried, we really did. But the drug use ended up creeping into our home. He lost his career. I was done. I was so done. I'll never forget one night, me and him. It started out just small amounts and in the height of it we were doing a quarter ounce of cocaine a weekend and I was sitting in a chair in the corner in my living room and I came out of my body and I was looking down at myself. And when I came back into my body I told him. I said we're getting rid of all of it now. And he kind of looked at me. I was calling everyone. I said do you want some drugs? So I'm like trying to give it away because I knew what just happened to me was not normal at all.

Ron Meyers: 5:55

What happened to you?

Sarah Butler: 5:56

I left my body. I seriously think that I died because I had done so much and it scared me, it absolutely terrified me. So then I start searching for answers. What is this life really for? And the more that I tried to search to get out of it, it was like almost like the devil wanted to have a grip on me, almost not to let me out. And then when I tried to get out of the drug use, the suicidal thoughts would come. And I'll never. I've attempted suicide three times And the last time, when I was in the hospital, my brother told me. He said, sarah, he said he just told me this a year ago. He said there's something you have to know about when you were in that hospital room And I said, what do you mean? He said there was an angel that came to that door and she told me she had to come in your room and pray over you. And she was in there for a very long time praying and prophesying and speaking life over you. So when the Bible tells us that we entertain angels, sometimes you do entertain angels, and sometimes they come even to help us, and I truly think that I am a product of God had a bigger plan and purpose for my life And I just couldn't see it. Yet I was going through all of this that I will never forget. I've separated from my husband, and I walked into a little church in Kiln, mississippi, and it was something different. I had been to church some when I was a small child, so I knew about Jesus. I just didn't know that you could have a real relationship with him. I didn't know that the Holy Spirit was a real thing. I didn't know that you could feel the tangible presence of God here on earth. And when I walked into that church that day, something changed in me. I don't know what it was, but I knew I was a little intimidated by it and a little fearful of it, but I was very curious to find out what was different there that I had never experienced before. And it was then, in 2005, that the Lord started tugging at my heartstrings and he started aligning things in my life. And it wasn't immediately that I came out of that lifestyle that I wanted to. That's when the desire and that's when he started really giving me the tools. That's when I picked up the word of God and really started reading it for myself and started learning who Jesus really was. And in 2005 is really, when I set out on a journey to find out if the word of God was real, i wanted to know that Jesus. So still, even after 2005, it felt like I just couldn't shake it. I could not. I did not know how. I didn't know anyone who was honest with me about issues and struggles that they were going through, because even when I would go to church, everyone was always so happy, but no one ever acted like they had struggles like me. So I felt like I was so broken and that I could just never be fixed. So again, i had set out on this journey to seek Jesus and to find him, if he really could be found, and the Lord, one day. It was the most random thing. I was in my house. I was on the other side of the house getting ready and I just had music playing and there was a video that came on my TV and it was so loud I could hear it. I'd never heard preaching like that. I'd never heard those words before, but it was a pastor called Isaiah Saldivar and I'd never heard of this man before. But he's on my TV and he's preaching and he is talking about deliverance And I'm like deliverance, what is this? So he's just, he's calling out all of these things torment in the mind and just physical pain and torment in your dreams and just all of these things, suicidal thoughts and depression and heaviness which I struggled with every day of my life. Some days I couldn't even get out of bed. I would sleep for weeks at a time if I did not have drugs to get through. So I started listening to this man and I'm like God, if this is real, if this is really real and this is what is going on with me, help me get delivered. So I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. And it wasn't immediate because the Lord knew I still had healing that I needed to do before I could walk that deliverance out. It was never like a one stop thing of, oh, i quit doing drugs, but it was. I didn't want to do them and my slip ups would come less frequently. I would go. Sometimes I couldn't make it but a week, and then the next time I would make it a month, and then the next time I would make it three months, and then the next time six months. So it was just longer periods. It was like that endurance was being built there and my relationship with Jesus during that in my need, that I knew I couldn't do the same thing. I needed to do it on my own and it had to come from him. So finally, i think I had to start facing all of those things, all of those years of pain that I had pushed so deep down into myself that I had never dealt with any of that hurt. I had never dealt with any of that pain. I just got messed up to not think about it and deal with it. So when I finally got sober, that was the hardest thing that I'd ever had to do in my life, because the next two years of my life was nothing but soul healing Me, having to face all the bad decisions that I made me, having to make amends with all the people that I had hurt in my life, including my two children that I had lost in the process. That was the hardest two years of my life. But once I had gone through all of that, the Lord put these people in my life and they walked me through deliverance and I was set free when I say I was set free of a lot of demons. There was generational curses that was on my family. There was things that I had opened the door for myself and I didn't believe it. You can read the Bible and it tells about when Jesus would go and cast out demons and the things that would happen. And even going into it, i'm like I know the Word of God says it, but I don't really think that this is real. When I was laying on that floor, trembling, just like it says in the Bible, i very much believed in, but I was free. For the first time in my life I was free.

Ron Meyers: 12:32

Amen. What year was that?

Sarah Butler: 12:34

That was 2017.

Ron Meyers: 12:35

2017. Yes, and now, from what I understand, i got a call. As you said, the man's name was Keith. He's on my board of directors. He said you got to talk to this young lady named Sarah. She's a wild crazy Jesus freak because Jesus set her free. Yes, and when we come back, we're going to tell the listeners what you're up to, but I want you to be able to talk to someone out there that you just connected with. Okay.

Announcer: 13:04

Okay, You're listening to get the hell out of your life with your host, Ron Myers. real stories, real struggles and real hope.

Announcment: 13:17

In every war, there are casualties and wounded, missing in action and POWs. The spiritual war we, as Christians, are involved in is no different. Our walk with God can be glorious, but it also makes us targets for the enemy's attacks. So what is our duty when a fellow soldier falls or is trapped behind enemy lines? That's when they need us most, and in most armies, the mission is clear Go in and rescue the troops in danger. But it's been said that Christians are the only army that shoots its wounded. Instead, we must not give up on those missing in action or those wounded either by their own actions or the actions of others. The worst thing we can do is attack them or give up on them, because it's been proven many times that even those who've deserted usually do return to the ranks, but often, though, they are scarred, they eventually prove to have more wisdom, valor and honor than before they left. And shoot the wounded.

Ron Meyers: 14:39

Listeners, welcome back in the studios of Sarah Butler and Sarah. Wow, what a story. But that is the whole point of this show. You got the hell out of your life.

Sarah Butler: 14:49

I did.

Ron Meyers: 14:50

Is it good life now?

Sarah Butler: 14:53

It is an amazing life now.

Ron Meyers: 14:54

You're happy, aren't you?

Sarah Butler: 14:56

I am so happy and I'm so grateful every day to Jesus Christ. He has filled me. I have so much joy, i have so much peace, i have so much purpose in my life. Everything that the enemy told me for all of those years that I couldn't have, i do have in my life now.

Ron Meyers: 15:15

You know some people that are skeptical of the power of Jesus, skeptical of the church, skeptical of deliverance. They just heard your testimony. So what do you tell someone that says, well, that was her, God chose her, He doesn't like me or he I've done worse stuff than her.

Sarah Butler: 15:35

I tell you that, Jesus Christ on the cross, if no one else was to ever accept or receive him, that he would have done that on the cross just for you. You have value, you have worth and you have a plan and a purpose that you were created for. No matter what you're going through, no one is ever too far gone for the love of Jesus Christ.

Ron Meyers: 15:59

You know you talked about destiny, your purpose, during the breaks era. You said that you're looking over your life and all the things you went through help shape you into now what the calling is in your life. So what is the calling on your life?

Sarah Butler: 16:15

One morning I woke up with a burning desire, and when I say a burning desire, it was like my heart felt so full, Like I was gonna go into jail ministry And at the time there was no door open for that. And I'm like, okay, Lord. I tried to talk to a few people, but it was door after door that we close And one day, supernaturally, God opened the store and he put me in a position that I could have never gotten for myself. I'm not qualified in the eyes of men, by any like I'm not qualified, but God has qualified me And God can call you to things and he can put you in positions that you are not qualified for. But because you belong to him And but because his Holy spirit is teaching you and guiding you, he will put you where you need to be if you are obedient and if you listen to his voice and follow him daily.

Ron Meyers: 17:10

And you go to prison ministry. What is it? five, six days a week.

Sarah Butler: 17:15

Seven days a week.

Ron Meyers: 17:16

Seven days a week, and what do you?

Sarah Butler: 17:17

do? I am a chaplain.

Ron Meyers: 17:19

You're a chaplain.

Sarah Butler: 17:20

I am.

Ron Meyers: 17:21

Now do you minister to just the women?

Sarah Butler: 17:23

Just the women right now. Yes, we're actually trying to get more on board for the men, because the men need it too. But yes, I help women, women who have been in prostitution, women who have been addicted, and I try to help them through the word of God and to see who they are. And not just that, i'm trying to help them be able to get an education So they do find value in themselves. I'm trying to help them even when they get out. We're trying to help them find housing and clothing and stuff like that as well.

Ron Meyers: 17:54

Do you think that a lot of people in your early life and the women you work with in prison that they get into the things they do because they see no value in themselves, they have no self-worth, they don't even probably like themselves Right?

Sarah Butler: 18:10

And there's a lot of past trauma.

Ron Meyers: 18:13

Past trauma.

Sarah Butler: 18:14

Trauma, soul wounds, that pain in your soul that's caused from trauma and rejection and hurt and pain in your past. That also, that's what kept me bound there.

Ron Meyers: 18:25

So somebody right now is saying well, i have this soul wounds, i hurt, i don't go to church, i can't go to your prison ministry and talk to you, and they don't know what to do. Right, this very minute They hurt so much. What would you tell them?

Sarah Butler: 18:43

I would tell them right where you are. Get on your knees and cry out to the Lord. He hears you, right where you are. That's how I got to him. I was in my room, i was being tormented, like it was awful what I was going through, and I got on my knees and I cried out to the Lord and I said Lord, help me. That was my cry, that was my plea to the Lord. Lord, help me. If you are really real, help me. And he did.

Ron Meyers: 19:11

I've had so many guests on over the many years I've done this show and that is exactly the changing point in their life. They got on their knees and they said Lord, if you're real, help me. Sarah. there are some people that are so much in this dark hole that the only way they think they can get out of the hole is to commit suicide. If somebody out there is even thinking of suicidal thoughts, you said you did many times. You had three attempts Right. It has to be terrible when you get to that point in life.

Sarah Butler: 19:47

I felt like I had no hope and the enemy will speak lies into your mind and I'll never forget that. Last time, before the angel came into the room and prayed and prophesied over me Before that attempt, i still remember the thoughts so clearly. So what is all of this for You? live, you die. There's no purpose behind any of it, just end it all. And that was what just kept going through my mind. The enemy will put thoughts into your mind, but that is why it's so important to combat that with the word of God. The word of God is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God that we have, and it is so, so powerful and it's so important to read the word of God, to know the word of God and to use it, to speak it out loud over your mind, over your circumstance.

Ron Meyers: 20:37

We are living in times to where some people have said all the world's going to hell in the hand basket, and my response is no. God is raising a generation of people that want to go and proclaim to the world what he's done for them. You and I, and so many other hundreds and hundreds of people I've interviewed, we've had a lot of hell in our life, but we overcame it with the power of Jesus And now we are on fire to go tell the world about them, because we've been where they are and we know there's a better life out there. Just hard sometimes because some people are so hard headed. You can tell them. what's that saying? You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. So I want you to make someone drink. I want you to pray. I want you to pray for our listeners right now. This is for anyone out there that just has some hell in your life, sarah.

Sarah Butler: 21:32

Can I say something before I do pray? Sure, the Lord is putting this on my heart right now to share this with someone, someone who might still be skeptical. I was too So once I came to the Lord and I walked in to, i walked out of faith assembly for many years and I walked back in a couple of years ago The first time I walked back into the church, like I knew, like okay, these people, they talk about all of this stuff. The Bible talks about all of this stuff. Still, even after having encounters with God up until that point, i was still skeptical about certain things. I'm like what about all these open visions in the Bible? You know what about those? So let me tell you what God did. So there was a situation I had walked into and I'm sitting there with my eyes closed because I could feel God trying to do something, but I didn't know what it was at the moment. So I just closed my eyes. And the visions that they say in the Bible, that all of the people, all the different people Elijah, ezekiel, peter, paul I had an open vision. So all of these things in the Bible, I'm just telling you they're very real. The power of God is very, very real And right now I am just going to pray. Lord Jesus, father, i just lifted up each and every one, father, that are under the sound of my voice. Right now, father, i just pray, god, for you to soften their hearts, lord, give them eyes to see and give them ears to hear. Lord, for anyone that is struggling right now, lord, with depression or anxiety and torment, lord, i just pray for your Holy Spirit, lord, to just come over them right now, lord, and just give them such peace, lord, just, father, fill them, father, let your spirit pour out over them in their homes and in their circumstances and situations. Right now, father, i just pray, right now, god, that your word will go forth and do everything that it is set out for it to accomplish today, lord, on this broadcast, father, i just praise you, lord, and I give you glory and I exalt your Holy name, king Jesus, amen.

Ron Meyers: 23:34

Wow, that's good. Wow, I see the little mouse over in the corner of my office. He's up dancing on his legs. Now You healed him. That little deacon. Rat poison wasn't any match for Jesus. Amen, all right. Wow, wow, very good. Sarah, very good Sarah. It seems like you've made amends with people in your life. What about your ex-husband? Did you make amends with him?

Sarah Butler: 24:03

No, sir. So me and him separated when I decided to get clean and unfortunately he was never able to get out and he died in addiction.

Ron Meyers: 24:13

He died in addiction. He died. Ooh.

Sarah Butler: 24:16

My father, my son with no father and me with no husband.

Ron Meyers: 24:21

So you are even on a stronger mission now. I didn't know that part of the story until you just said so. So now, not only do you want to save people from life without Jesus, but to help them get off these drugs in addiction. Yes, all right. How's everybody else in the family? How's the kids?

Sarah Butler: 24:43

They are great. I've got a strong relationship now, as I mean, you know, when you're coming out of addiction you can't say, hey, i'm clean, hey, i'm doing this, hey, i'm doing that. I've let my life in Jesus speak for itself, and me living the life that Jesus has created me for has drawn my children back to me and our relationship is absolutely amazing now.

Ron Meyers: 25:08

That's great. I'm so glad and I'm so sorry for what you went through in your life, and then, at the same time, look what God has done with you now.

Sarah Butler: 25:17

I don't think I would have changed a thing. It was hard and it was difficult, but it has made me who I am today and I'm so much stronger because of it, in my faith, and who the Lord is. It's unshakable and I don't think that I would have changed any of it.

Ron Meyers: 25:32

So, sarah, if somebody wants to send you an email or reach out to you, what's your email address?

Sarah Butler: 25:39

It is destined for his kingdom at gmailcom. It's destined the E S T I N E D for his kingdom at gmailcom.

Ron Meyers: 25:51

All right, sarah. Well, thank you, you're very grateful. Thank you for coming by and we'll follow up and we'll talk again. We like fireballs to come into this office. Okay, thank you, you're welcome.

Announcer: 26:03

You're listening to get the hell out of your life with your host, ron Myers. Real stories, real struggles and real hope.

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What's your story? We're looking for stories of hope and overcoming life struggles with God's grace. Your story validates God's love, mercy, restoration and forgiveness. We want to help you share your story with the world. Visit our website, the promoterorg, and click on the share your story link and submit your story. Your testimony of God's amazing grace will change a person's destiny for eternity.

Ron Meyers: 26:40

So what's your story? We all have a story. I have a crazy story. I'd love to send it to you. Go to my website, the promoterorg. I have a book. It's called The Promoter. You'll see that I had a lot of hell in my life but thank God, I found Jesus. I'll be back next week with another great episode of Get the Hell Out of Your Life Real stories, real struggles and real hope. In the meantime, remember this that I love you, God loves you, and when you give Jesus your heart, he gives you a new identity.

Announcer: 27:25

Get the hell out of your life is underwritten by the Christmas City Gift Show. We invite you to come shop with over 260 vendors from all over the United States, november 10th through the 12th inside the Coast Convention Center located on the beach in Biloxi, mississippi. You can find more information at ChristmasCityGiftShowcom. If you would like to share your story of God's amazing grace or listen to previous episodes, please visit our website, the promoterorg. Join us next week for another episode of Get the Hell Out of Your Life Real stories, real struggles and real hope.