He Said “My Son,” and Everything Changed: My Testimony of Sobriety, Loss, and Obedience
I want to share a snippet of my testimony with you, at least one season of it, because I believe someone needs to hear it.
I was born and raised in Queens, New York. Both of my parents were addicted to drugs and alcohol. My mom passed away when I was 4. My dad passed away when I was 18. Despite all of that, I was raised in the church. I knew who God was. I always had some kind of relationship with Him, but no one had ever fully explained to me who Jesus was, or who the Holy Spirit was.
As I got older, I started wanting more knowledge, more understanding of faith and religion. At 15, I became an Israelite and practiced those beliefs for several years of my life. I was searching for something. But eventually, there was nothing left in it for me.
When God Said "My Son"
There came a point in my life where I knew something was missing, but I couldn't name it. So I cried out to God and asked Him plainly: What is missing?
He told me, "My Son." (Meaning Jesus)
And I said, Lord, You know I don't do that Jesus thing. What is missing?
And He said it again, clear as day, "My Son."
At around 35 years old, I got saved at a church in Brooklyn called Bethesda Healing Center. That was around 2016. But being saved didn't mean everything changed overnight. I was still smoking. Still drinking. Still fornicating. I had been addicted to weed and alcohol since I was 14 years old.
That is the part of a Christian testimony of transformation that people don't always talk about, the process. Sanctification is a journey.
July 16th, 2022 — The Day I Threw It All Away
Fast forward to age 41. I was going through a terrible separation from my second husband. I have two older boys, they're 25 and 24 now, from my first marriage. And here I was, in the middle of another painful season, separated and struggling.
So I started praying. I started fasting in my prayer closet.
And through that time of seeking God, on July 16th, 2022, God told me to throw it all away.
So I did.
I threw away all the weed. I poured bottles of hard alcohol down the drain. I was completely sober, afraid of withdrawal, and afraid of whether I could actually do it. But I knew I had to be obedient. And so I was.
Feeling Like Sarah
About eight months later, still separated from my second husband, I found out I was pregnant at 42 years old. My youngest son was 23 at the time. My oldest was 24. I felt exactly like Sarah in the Bible, because I thought I was done having children.
But God had other plans.
I knew immediately that I would name her after my mother. I named her Deborah.
Around this same time, people started telling me I was evangelizing, sharing the Gospel everywhere I went. I didn't even know what evangelism was at the time. That's just what I was doing. God had called me to ministry. He called me to be a teacher. And even though I had no idea what that looked like, I said yes.
I started on Facebook. Then I went live on a dating app, ironic, I know. Then someone told me about TikTok, and in 2022, Takeoff Ministries was born.
A Foreigner in a Foreign Land
Life got harder before it got easier. After my daughter was born, I went through a full divorce. He filed, and it went through. I was now a single mother. I faced eviction in New Jersey. I moved six times in six months. And I ended up in Pennsylvania, a foreigner in a foreign land, knowing nobody, with no money, no job, and no place to live.
But God kept me through every single bit of it.
Everyone around me kept saying, "You need to do ministry. You need to do ministry." And I kept making excuses. I was running like Jonah. I have my daughter. It's too hard. I can't.
January 5th, 2026 — I Chose God
Then came the crossroads.
On January 5th, 2026, I had gone through all the hoops to continue working as a daycare educator, my profession for going on three years. A job was in front of me. Security was in front of me. But deep in my spirit, I knew God was calling me to more.
I said to Him, "But God, if I take this job, I just feel like I'm not supposed to be here. I just know that You're calling me to more."
And He said clearly: "If not now, then when? Are you going to choose Me, or are you going to choose this worldly job? Who are you going to work for?"
On January 5th, 2026, I chose God.
This is the part of my testimony of transformation that I want every woman, every person, who feels stuck to hear. That moment of choosing obedience over comfort changed everything.
Promiseland — A Kingdom Business
Takeoff Ministries is still alive and well on TikTok and Facebook. But God also gave me a vision for a kingdom business called Promiseland.
He gifted me the ability to create resin artwork, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks, candle holders, standing crosses, bookends, and phone holders; things I had never made before in my life. He just placed that gift in my hands. I also started creating Christian t-shirts, hats, and bags.
This has been going on for five months now. And praise God, there has been no lack, not in my life, and not in my daughter's life. He has provided for every bill. He has kept my account from going negative, which used to happen all the time.
A Snippet Is All It Takes
I know this is just a snippet of my testimony. There is so much more to the story, so much that God has done and is still doing. But if you are reading this and something is missing in your life, I want you to know: God will tell you exactly what it is if you ask Him.
He told me, "My Son," Jesus twice, until I listened.
Every Christian testimony of transformation begins with a moment of surrender. Mine was messy. Mine was hard. Mine involved loss, addiction, eviction, divorce, and starting completely over.
But God kept me. And He will keep you, too.
Praise God.
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