-Contibuted by Cynthia Major Almaraz

The rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed and some of its members had died. We heard the news from folks that had just come in from the outside. So the big song we were all singing lately was Freebird in honor of our fallen heroes.  And it was also our prayer for sure – to fly away! 

    Some how I knew it was coming real soon for me and I was so ready!  I did change the words to the song though, “Lord help me, I can change!  This bird can change!” because I really did want a new life; I did want to change.

    Well my day came.  I went before the judge and he was not too kind to me.  I was wobbling before him in my 5 inch stilettos because I hadn’t worn shoes for almost four months since the bust.  These were the only shoes my roommate could find to bring me. The magistrate said to me, “I am placing you on 10 years probation, but the way you look and the way you are, I give it 30 days and you’ll be standing before me again!”  I was shocked for if he didn’t think I could make it, then how could I?

   Those words haunted me for I had already seen in the short time being locked up, others come back. “No one gets away with things in my town!” said the country judge. 

After what seemed like hours, I finally got to walk out of the courthouse of that little county jail.  “It was four stories high for being so little”, I thought!  Angelton, Texas had a population of about 9,000 people and was surrounded by even smaller little hick towns. 

   “Man, where have I been?”  I had no idea because I got arrested the third day after I arrived to our new destination of Lake Jackson,Texas and that was a hot August day in 1977 and now it’s the end of November!

   I looked up to see the bars on the windows of the fourth floor.  The sun was so blinding because I had not seen it for so long.  “That was where I stayed all that time?”  Wow, I am finally free!  And I am not the same.  I feel as if the blindfold has been removed from my eyes.  I can see clearly for the first time, not just the sun but the Son!  It was like in 3D.”  The sensation was even better than being high!  Wow!

   I felt His presence.  God was with me now.  “I’ll no longer be alone ever again.  Nor will I be afraid!”  I looked at the vivid colors of the sky, the grass, the flowers and was in awe as I kept saying, “Wow, He made the sky, He made the grass, He made the flowers, He made the trees…” 

   Then I realized people were staring at me, this hippie looking 19 year old girl that I was. They were probably thinking how bold I was to be tripping on drugs right out there on the courthouse lawn!  But I really wasn’t high!  That was the amazing part!  I was sober, clean, and I didn’t want to do drugs anymore! 

   I had been high for the last eight years of my life and now I am not!  Most people when they get out of jail that’s the first thing they want to do in celebration of their freedom, but not me!  I didn’t want it any more!  No more, no more!  No matter what the judge says, I say no more!  And with God’s help maybe this can really become a reality for me?   

   God made this world, He made me, He made me for a purpose and I now have a reason to live.  I have a hope now that I didn’t have before.  God is no longer far away, but He is with me and living in me! I’m free!  And I’m finally out of jail!  But at the same time I was still fearful of the unknown.    

   The words of the judge still echoing in my head, “the way you are, the way you look – I give it 30 days and you’ll be standing in front of me again!”  

   How I wanted to prove him wrong, but had little hope that I could on my own.  I didn’t know where I was going to live, how I was going to survive, or how would I get my three year old son back from the authorities?  Also, would I be able to stay clean and continue to say no to drugs was a big concern for me.  I hated the drugs, but….“

 This is an excerpt from my new book on my life story.  It has been almost 40 years since this incident occurred.  I knew for my life to change I would have to change everything!  That meant my friends, my thinking, and most of all my way of living.  And yes I did prove the judge wrong! I never stood before him again, but I give all that glory to my Lord Jesus Christ.  I could not have done it on my own.  But I wasn’t alone, God was with me.  That was the amazing part!  When I called on Him to help me and save me, He really did!  It has been an exciting journey living for Christ and I do not regret one moment of it.  My recovery was a process, I got my GED since I was an 8th grade drop-out.  Then I attended several colleges (Bible & secular) and universities.  After receiving a full pardon from George W. Bush, I taught public school for over a decade to “at risk” kids.  I raised three sons for the Lord.  Now I write books and minister along side my husband.
What is the key to my success?  Never looking back, then you won’t go back! Getting hooked up with good Christian people that believe in you and will encourage you along the way, and most of all: daily spending time in God’s presence and in His Holy Word – the Bible.  If you can dare to believe, your life can change, too!  But only when you call on the name of the Lord and ask for His help.  He is there waiting for you!  Psalms 40:1-3…I cried unto the Lord and He heard me and pulled me out of the pit….

Cynthia Almaraz, P.O. Box 755, Jenks, OK 74037
Cynthia is also the author of Milestones, Moving out of Addictions and into Your God-given Future.  To purchase Cynthia’s book, click the following link.  Christian Books.com