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Testimony: From coat sale to clothed in Christ

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Photo: Courtesy Véronique Beaudin

Photo: Courtesy Véronique Beaudin

“My story is part of the story of God,” says Véronique Beaudin. She thanks God for carrying her through severe depression and suicidal episodes to healing and flourishing.

At 32, Véronique felt hopeless as memories from childhood sexual abuse resurfaced. She opened the Bible and started to read Revelation to find out how the world ends, thinking that her own life would not last much longer. Unable to understand the meaning, she closed it after a few minutes. Alone in her apartment that night, Véronique lay on the ground and cried out to God. “If you really exist, put some people on my path because I cannot continue.”

Some days later, an advertisement in the paper caught her eye; it was for a leather jacket sale from Thursday to Sunday at La Villa des Moulins in Terrebonne, Que. She normally slept in on Sunday mornings; however, when her mother-in-law called early to invite her out for breakfast, Véronique decided to check out the jacket sale with her boyfriend after the breakfast.

Walking through the door

A church called L’Intersection was meeting in the room next to the coat sale. Véronique’s boyfriend, who stood in the doorway listening, was soon invited to come in and bring Véronique. 

Unaware of how these steps would change her life, she timidly walked into the young church plant in the hotel ballroom. Cindy, co-pastor Patrice Nagant’s wife, warmly welcomed her.

“What is this place?” Véronique asked Cindy.

“This is a place where we come to celebrate God,” Cindy said.

Patrice also greeted Véronique and, after a brief discussion, gave her a copy of the Gospel of John to read. He told her she was welcome to come back any time.

Several weeks later, Véronique did return to L’Intersection, where she was surprised to learn that Patrice was preaching a series on Revelation.

That day, Nagant spoke about the church of Laodicea that lost its first love, Jesus. He said Christians need to bring Jesus back to the centre of their lives. 

“That’s when I understood that I wanted Jesus to be the centre of my life,” Véronique says.

Drawn to the One who heals and restores

Véronique continued to come to church, first sporadically, then regularly, and joined a home group where she was mentored and encouraged by co-pastor David Miller and his wife Patricia and a group member named Anne. Several months later, after much Bible reading, praying and sharing with brothers and sisters in the church community, she gave her life to the One who could heal and restore her.

Baptized in 2008, Véronique is now a leader at L’Intersection. She is finishing a BA in theology at ETEM, where she also works as admissions counsellor and recruiter. She dreams of using art therapy to help lead people to the One who answered her prayer that night when she was alone and hopeless. 

Véronique is no longer alone, and this is true in more ways than one. Although Véronique was not looking for a husband when she first went to L’Intersection, God had other plans. During her walk of faith, she met Peter, and they were married in October 2011 at L’Intersection.

Véronique’s life has been and continues to be transformed by God. The meaning of her life has completely changed as she turns daily to Christ. “I want to serve God and give him my whole life,” she says. “And I want to help victims, all kinds of victims.”

A version of this story from C2C Network Quebec regional director Patrice Nagant was published on the Regenerate 21-01 website . Véronique Beaudin shared her testimony at Gathering 2014 in Vancouver.

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