Breath of Life Testimony: Melissa

My mentor is Tanya. I began smoking at the age of 12. I had older siblings, and they would sneak out of the house to smoke and as a curious little one, I would follow them. I caught them one day, and told them I was going to tell mom and they said "Here just try a puff". So I did. Then they told me that if I told on them they would in turn tell on me. So from that day forward they took me with them when they went to smoke and I began smoking more to fit in at the beginning. I truly enjoyed smoking. I never dreamed of quitting until I was around the age of 28, when I began dating someone for the first time who was not a smoker. I used all the conventional worldly methods of quitting. It was hard and it lasted a little while each time I attempted it. Then when I was 30 years old, I got saved and the Lord began to convict me of my sin of smoking. But then again I attempted to quit by myself and fool myself that I was asking God to help me. I struggled for four years of smoking, quitting, smoking and the condemnation grew each time I tried to quit without first surrendering to God. Then one day I the found Setting Captives Free website and began the course with the attitude of what could I lose? Well, I lost a lot, but it has been worth it all. I lost smoking. I have been drinking of the living water since. The joy and the closeness that I have experienced since this sin has been eradicated from my life is unspeakable.