Road To Redemption
Road To Redemption
Casey Draughn – From Shame and Rejection to Freedom and Purpose
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God can take the places where we feel ashamed, rejected, or broken and transform them into freedom, purpose, and joy.
In this powerful conversation on Road to Redemption, Valerie Peterson sits down with Casey Draughn, Assistant Director of Be Generous, to talk about foster care, healing, surrender, and discovering her identity in Christ.
Casey and her husband, Jason, opened their home to foster children after praying that God would use what He had given them for His purpose. Over nearly ten years, they welcomed around 53 children into their home, becoming a safe and loving place for young people who needed it.
But while Casey was helping others, God was also healing her.
For years, she struggled with shame and rejection. Although she knew Jesus loved her, she had difficulty believing that truth for herself. Through a Freedom group, confession, prayer, and trusted community, Casey began experiencing freedom and learning to replace shame with what God's Word says about her.
She discovered a powerful truth:
She is God's daughter. She is wanted. She is cherished.
Today, Casey serves women through Be Generous, a nonprofit providing a 24-month residential program for women coming out of substance abuse disorder and sexual exploitation.
Casey's story reminds us to:
Give your shame and rejection to God.
Stay rooted in His Word.
Find godly community and accountability.
Bring God your honest emotions—even your anger.
Allow Him to use your life to serve others.
Your shame doesn't define you.
Your rejection doesn't determine your worth.
And your broken places can become part of a beautiful story of redemption.
What burden might God be asking you to surrender to Him today?
Contact Casey Draughn:
caseylynndraughn@gmail.com
For more information contact us at
rtrdestiny@gmail.com
Welcome And Meet Laura
SPEAKER_00Oh hey friends, I'm John and welcome back to Road to Redemption. Very excited today to be here with Laura, my new friend. Nice to meet you. How are you? I'm good. Laura Seek.
SPEAKER_01I'm good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Oh well. Well, it's nice to have you. I know you through our mutual friend Jahan. And I know y'all are from the great city of Birmingham, Alabama, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes, we are, but we love coming down here.
SPEAKER_00You're coming down here to the beach. I know a lot of people from Birmingham come down and we we welcome y'all.
SPEAKER_01We thank you, Rap.
SPEAKER_00Yeah,
Laura’s Background And Marriage Ministry
SPEAKER_00yeah. Well, well, let's just start off and tell us a little bit about you and your story and how you you found Jesus.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I'm married to Andy Sink 33 years, and we have three grandchildren and um two grandbabies, two and a half and five months old. So recent grandparents, which is awesome. Um grew up in Shreeport, Louisiana, but I've been in Birmingham 35 years and it's home. Um, you know, just kind of grew up with the formal religion. Uh, always need the Lord, but it was a very uh formal type of religion. And um just through my walk as an adult have grown closer and hopefully will always continue to grow closer to the Lord. So um, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And and you and your husband Andy, I think I saw y'all. Do you have like a marriage ministry or a marriage course of some sort of thing? We do.
SPEAKER_01We've taught a marriage ministry for about 15 years um in our home and and through our church. It's a it's a um kind of a small group ministry. And so that has been we just love to do it. We get to meet, it's not just for young couples, it's for you know, sometimes we'll have couples that have been married six months and 40 years all in the same class. So it's a very practical uh marriage endurance um enrichment ministry.
SPEAKER_00So that's awesome. Well, well, tell us a little bit more about that or about your your story.
COVID Hospital Crisis And Surrender
SPEAKER_01So, you know, along the way, um like I said, I kind of was in a more formal setting of religion and just growing closer to God. But I think one of the most impactful things that happened to me in my life was back in 2021. And um, it was November, excuse me, August of 2021. And my husband Andy went in the hospital with COVID. And um, when he went in, it was the time when everything was shut down. I couldn't go see him. Um, communication was difficult, I could only talk to him. Um, I had no correspondence from the hospital. And so I began to watch and fade. And we had gone to the hospital that day really for an x-ray, not necessarily. He was, we knew he hadn't COVID, but it had been eight days. And so the doctor was like, just go get an x-ray on his lungs. And we went to the hospital very with very little knowledge. They took him, locked him down, um, and kept him there for four days. And it was at that point, um, fear just overwhelmed me. I mean, to the point of the and I knew what conquers fear is praise and prayer. And all I could do, because I was by myself, couldn't go to the hospital, was prayed and praise. It was the only thing that gave me oxygen. And I had prayer groups, actually, that's how I'm at Jahan. She was praying over my husband. Um, prayer groups praying, and um I just went to God and and people were saying, get him out of the hospital. Doctors were saying keep him in. And I knew I had as a as a wife to make that decision, not knowing if he was gonna live or die. And um, so I prayed and I said, God, I can't do this on my home. You, you know, you have to help me. I'm fine with whatever you decide. And it it was really at that point that I turned over. I love my husband, but I think I placed him a notch above guy. And I turned him over and I said, I'm fine if he, if you take him, but let it be your will, not some other entity. And if it's your will, I'll be okay with you. And I just sort of released that, which I didn't realize how big that was gonna be. Um putting my guy back first over my husband and over my family. And so at that point, I always say the floodgates opened. And I knew, out of shadow of a doubt, I was to get him out of that hospital. I had so many instances of God just, you know, and I even had my children, you know, somewhat questioning, shouldn't we leave him in? I'm like, no, I know he's supposed to come out. I didn't know if he was gonna live or die, but I knew he was supposed to come out, and so we got him out. Um, that was like getting him out of prison, honestly. And brought him home. He at that point, he was so, so sick, coughing up blood, sicker than he went in. He had never gotten an IV, no fluids. He was dehydrated, lost 25 pounds in four days. He was sick, and um, but I didn't want him to see fear. I know what fear does, and I know it is the enemy working, but I was in fear, and um, I would have this prayer that I found on my phone because I ran out of like even what to pray and how to pray. I was like, what do I? I'm just numb. So I found this prayer and I would just belt it out on the awe of God and the, you know, the king of kings and lord of wards and all these attributes of God. And it would, I would go in my closet to do that because I didn't want him to see the fear because he had to heal. And I knew he didn't need fear on top of all the medicines we were doing because I immediately became a you know respiratory therapist, a nutritionist, a pharmacist, a you know, nurse, everything to him, which I was so glad to do. But um I was a bit overwhelmed. And I went in my closet one day and I got on my knees and I was just falling, crying, praying. And all of a sudden there was this roar of thunder. It wasn't like your big bolt lightning, it was this constant steady war, enough to stop me in my track of crying and sobbing and pleading for his life. And I just stopped and I heard the audible voice of God for the first time in my life. And he said, Don't you know I got him out of the hospital and I knew he had. And I said, Oh yes, Lord. And I started thanking and praising, and I was like, Thank you for getting him out of the hospital. And he said, Don't you know you're gonna share your story so that then other people can be healed? And I've always wanted, I love the Lord and I've always wanted to hear from the Lord. But I'm at that moment, I'm still fully human, and I was like, but I don't want that job, it's divisive. And then I was like, Oh my gosh, I just denied the audible voice of God, you know, just like Peter. I'm like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I did that. And then I started repenting, I started crying more because I was like, I can't believe I did that. And thanking him because I knew at that point Andy would live. I just didn't know what that was gonna look like when I came out. And so fast forward, he got well. It took him a while. He has actually never had problems, long COVID or anything. I've actually had more trouble than he has. Um, and I always say he went in the hospital, saved my life and the future generations of our children because it just woke me up to the Holy Spirit, it woke me up to the order of what it should look like. It woke me up to deception and what uh truth, and and that it's not gonna be an easy walk. Um because then I tried to share my story, uh, which was difficult.
SPEAKER_00So that's a complete surrender of God to God, you know, and just complete surrender, what you did, you know, you're up and knees there, because it's like we in our own human strength, we want to try to do as much as we can to see, you know, especially when our loved ones is going through something that we've got done everything we could do to see that they're healed. And and I'm not saying that's bad to try to take care of them, you know, and do what you can, but it's uh that's what I see as just complete surrender. And you heard from God, you know, not many people get to hear from God in an audible voice. That's powerful.
SPEAKER_01And deny.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And you know, yeah, wow. Um, but but you know, and I I think that we we have a real passion for this show in our ministry for healing. Uh, that's a big part of what we do, even in this room. We pray for healing, and I I know there are people out there, you know, that are that are really, you know, they have loved ones that are have life-threatening illnesses. Um, you know, I'm seeing it every day.
SPEAKER_01So talk to them, to somebody that's out there listening now, that's really so from that, it led us on a journey of um, it has been a wild ride, uh too much to to go through, but led us on at that moment taking oxygen all over Birmingham to get medicine and people to keep them out of the hospital to fast forward today to helping people find good information, good um treatment, and help.
Long COVID Help And Medical Hope
SPEAKER_01And uh, we were part of a group that started the microvascular research foundation. So we have a doctor in Birmingham who's treating long COVID vaccine injuries, spike protein-related injuries. And it has been hard and difficult, but such a blessing. I mean, our true healer is Guy, no doubt. And uh Dr. Vaughn Birmingham is a is a believer, and and um, but there's a place for medicine, yeah, and especially in a pandemic and one such as the one we went through. And so people are flying in from all over, um, you know, working with government entities now trying to get systems in place. But it's it's very difficult because of the information is hard to find, and the um treatment is very unknown. Um and there's not many that understand what's happening and what's happening to the body and what we need to do. But the cool thing and the good thing for people out there that may have issues with it, there is so much hope. There is so much healing. There are truly miracles that I've watched, and then there's great um treatment, you know. I always tell people most people that are really sick from this didn't get there overnight, and you're not didn't get back overnight unless you get that healing note miracle, but um, but there is there is treatment and there is um hope.
SPEAKER_00Yes, amen.
Marriage Enrichment Without The Stigma
SPEAKER_00Well, I I know as well, Laura, you and your husband handy um to have this uh marriage course course that you're doing. And I don't know if you could just share a little bit about your marriage testimony because I know a lot of folks are less everybody struggles in marriage, even yeah, you know, what can you talk to any of our listeners?
SPEAKER_01So for us, it was it looked a little differently. Um we were young, we had young kids, and we are in that stage, you're just surviving, you know. And we had a great marriage, but a a friend of ours was doing a marriage ministry in this class and he asked us to go through it. And we went through it and it kind of changed our life because it's very practical information. It's on, you know, learning each other's needs, um, what trips us up, what you know, are these things that that um take away some of that love, practical, practical information. So we went through this course and we were like, gosh, I wish we'd known this earlier. Yeah, we had a good marriage, that, but it always, you know, it's like your faith journey. It never stops. You need to continue to grow in it and you need to continue to enrich it and study it. And, you know, um, and so for us, it was we started looking into how do we help our church? How do we help uh create enrichment classes? There was everything from from premarital care um to divorce care at the time. But we were like, what about us in the middle of families? There was all these parenting classes, and they were great, and everybody was willing to do a parenting class. But as soon as you say a marriage class, there's stigma like something's wrong. You better, you know, take this class. And I think everybody needs to be in marriage classes because marriage is a gift and a sacrament, and we need to bless it and enrich it. And so we started doing that, and um, we just bell them up because we always say we're slow learners, we have to do it every year just to to go through the course with all of our um group that's in the class.
SPEAKER_00So it's it's so important in so many marriages. Um, yeah, even Christians, believers marriages are under attack in our Western world that's so fast paced, and you know, I think a lot of it's just communication. Such under and and we're not men and women, you know, communicate differently and the enemy hates marriage.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, and if you get you marriage right, then you you the the parenting comes natural. If you if you wrap your chord of two with God in three, the parenting becomes usually resolves it and not to say you don't need parenting classes, but um enrich the marriage first and put the put the emphasis there before the parenting.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that's so good. Well, um before we get to the end of our show, I always like to ask, is there anything else God's put on your heart to share today with uh might be uh someone that's believing for healing or for a marriage or
Learning Healing And Holy Spirit Power
SPEAKER_00anything?
SPEAKER_01You know, God's had me on this path of of learning what healing is, and and uh I know he has a lot in store regarding healing and using me for healing. Don't necessarily know what that looks like yet, but I'm just a big believer that um with everything that happened in our story and with COVID and everything we went through, it healing is coming and um healing is present and he wants to be the one to heal. And so, you know, I'm trying to walk in faith on that with a lot of people that are suffering and praying over them, and we're praying for miracles, and I've seen some miracles, and so that's that's kind of exciting to me. I'm still navigating, I'm still new at at what this healing might look like, but it's been so cool for me to learn more that the Holy Spirit gave us this power, yeah, that I did not tap into and I did not realize until I woke up with this story and of the gift of healing and from what we have inside us to do for others. And so, you know, I don't really have anything to add to that except to say I see it and that that I've learned the Holy Spirit gives us way more power than I've ever known or probably used to this point. But my prayer is that that uh it will be used, however God chooses to use it.
Three Pillars For Spiritual Growth
SPEAKER_00Well, we're gonna pray in just a minute, but I always like to mention to everyone about Road to Redemption and our three key pillars. And the first is to get into the Word of God and read the Bible every day. Even if you're new new to Jesus and this thing of God, you can you can get the Bible on your app on your phone right now. You can look up there are a lot of apps, and but if you have a a Bible hardback like this, this is primarily how our Lord speaks to you. That if you just start reading the Bible, he will transform your life, he'll start speaking to you and you will hear from him. And next is to get into a a Christ-centered Bible-believing church and just go. You need community, you know, you can't do this alone. God created us to be in community with each other. So go to church, find, you know, you'll find one, but just get rooted in a Christ-centered church and just go. You're not ever gonna find the perfect church, just go. And then also get into a small group, you know, a group within that church that you can do life with, you can make yourself vulnerable, accountable, and um join that group and be a part of that group. But we promise God will transform your life if you do these three things.
SPEAKER_01Um so Laura really said that there's there's no such thing as a perfect church because it's imperfect people. There's no such thing as a perfect marriage. There's just the only thing that's perfect is God.
SPEAKER_00Right. You know, um he said that it just Yeah, it's so true. And we need God and we need others, you know, to do this journey together.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Uh, we need to connect, like like Johan connected us.
SPEAKER_01And the other thing about that being in the word too is the um protecting yourself in the warfare that you will face. Um you can imagine with our story, the the warfare. I had learned to battle that, uh, and through the word.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01The spiritual warfare, which is total spiritual warfare, and it's it still continues, but every day, yeah.
SPEAKER_00We gotta prepare ourselves. And I think from uh Ephesians 6, that's a great scripture read that chapter was spiritual warfare to know how to equip ourselves for that. Um Wow, this has been really great. And as I told you when you came on, this is really a place of prayer.
Prayer For Healing And Marriages
SPEAKER_00So we want to now just pray for for folks out there listening that you know are struggling with healing. It might be someone, you know, you're needing healing for your own body or uh even mental healing, or you're you're praying for your husband, wife, or loved one. Um, you know, and also marriages. So I'll just start out, Laura, and you can add in. We'll we'll we'll pray right now. Uh dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for the show today. We thank you for Laura coming on and sharing and and and Father, we're believing today for for people listening, um, that are needing healing, they're needing healing in their body, um, needing a miracle. Jesus, Lord, you know who these people are, you know their names. And and Lord, we are just believing. We're stepping out in faith right now, and and in your name, in the mighty name of Jesus, by your authority and your power, we say you are healed. You are healed today by Jesus. And we have complete faith that you are healed. And we come into agreement. We say we're two or more gathered, you are here, and and we come into complete agreement that healing is taking place over your body, those listening today, and your mind in the mighty name of Jesus. And we lift up also the marriages, people that are struggling with their marriage. Lord, we know that that you created us, you know, many of us for marriage. And when two come together, we are one flesh in the marriage. And Lord, we just we just declare and decree that the marriages will remain one flesh and they will stay together and they will be healed. These marriages are healed by you. You will put together the resources, um, the ways. Lord, you know the ways, but we just we are saying right now, all the marriages that are listening, people there are marriages on this show that need healing, they are healed today. And Laura, if you want to Father, we uh we need you.
SPEAKER_01We love you. Father, we have so many needs that only you can um heal, that only you can teach, that only you can share. So we ask, Father, for our eyes to be open, our ears to be open, our hearts to be open to you. That truth would just radiate down. Oh but I know there are people on the other end that are just suffering, they are debilitated from what happened to their bodies. And Father, they're at what's in. And I ask you to fill them right now with your presence and your hope. Uh-huh. Father, I ask that these people they've been to every allologist out there. I ask for you just to remove all spike protein that might be harming their bodies. I ask you, Father, that you would just put them in touch and in the white places to s to get healing if they need medical treatment. I ask for, Father, that you would would heal them outright, but that maybe their journey it looks a little different and needs help. And so, Father, I ask you for that spirit, a fight within them to get through this to find resources to help. I ask for every vein inside them, inside their iliac vein, inside their cerebral veins that might be crushed, that blood flow might not be moving. I ask, Father, that your blood, the blood of Jesus, would just be taken through everybody and cleansed through all these bodies out there. And Father, we ask this in your mighty name. You are the healer, you are the uh ultimate uh physician. And we thank you and praise you for that in your mighty name.
SPEAKER_00And Father, I just want to say pray for anyone out there that has been depressed or anxious or uh that have been considering taking their life. I just say in the mighty name of Jesus, this is not the plan for you. Our Lord has a plan and is not to end your life. He has a great plan for you. And I just break off any assignments of the enemy that's trying to get you to do that. I say that will you will not do that. You will not end your life, you will have a a life full of Jesus that the Lord wants you to come to him and he wants you to live. And he has a plan for your life. So I just I just say by the mighty name of Jesus, you will find peace and life and joy through Jesus. And I just we come into agreement.
SPEAKER_01And I feel like somebody needs to hear that we need to turn they need to turn from systematic bureaucracy of medicine to the Lord, and that He is the healing, and that whatever it is that uh you're involved in is not the source of your healing. Yes, Lord the Lord is.
SPEAKER_00Amen. Amen.
Final Blessing And Goodbye
SPEAKER_00Thank you. Wow, what a great conversation! Great show, very divine, very cool. Thank you, John. Thank you for having me. This is for setting us up. It was good. Thank you, Laura. Yeah, hope to meet your husband one day.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he's great.
SPEAKER_00Andy. All right, till next time. It's been great.
unknownThanks.