“Have you had enough?” It was just four words, but it was a turning point question in Kelly Lester’s life.
For 15 years, Kelly had been running from the Lord, desperate to fill the hurting places in her heart with men, drugs, and every other kind of coping mechanism. But after nearly losing her life in a violent domestic fight, Kelly came to a place of surrender to the question God was asking of her.
But God, do you know the things I’ve done?
“Yes, Kelly, but if you follow me, I will make beauty from ashes.”
Kelly’s story is one that covers so many difficult and painful topics in our world today. Child molestation, raped as a teen, several abortions, drug dealing, eating disorders, homosexuality, pornography, prostitution, and even working in the clinic where she had her first abortion. But beauty triumphs from the ashes, and Kelly is a testament to how God can clean all the dirty parts of a painful life story and make it brand new.
Now a wife and mother of six children, Kelly loves to share her story to give hope to the most desperate situations proving that God can save anybody. She is currently a client advocate for LoveLine Ministries, a member of And Then There Were None, the director of outreach for RVA Light in Richmond, Virginia, and a board member for Vilaj Ansanm: Living Stones Ministries.
"Rape, drop-out, substance abuse, domestic violence, and abortion...each of these by themselves can be a living hell for most people. Yet Kelly survived all of these and now lives a beautifully redeemed life that only Jesus could bring about. Hear her share a gripping survival story which is proof that God can and does redeem the messes we make of our lives. I can think of no other more powerful pro-life testimony to impact the lives of those being ravished by abortion in particular. She powerfully proclaims the redemptive power of a compassionate gospel that offers hope and help to those facing pregnancy decisions or are seeking forgiveness and healing from a previous abortion."