By Mallory Mattingly
Tashera Draughn’s life fell apart when her husband Earl Simmons, who she married in 1999, found fame as rapper DMX. But God still had a plan.
“This was always his dream. He knew that he was gifted with his talent, which I didn’t really see it for what it was until it actually, really happened. But he said, ‘This is how we’re going to make it out of the hood,'” Draughn said of her ex-husband’s music career in an interview with CBN News.
At first, married life was great, but when the fame and fortune hit Simmons, their relationship began to take a turn for the worse.
“In an industry where it is the devil’s playground, where morals and values are out the window, I watched my best friend gain the world,” Draughn recalled.
The couple ended their marriage in 2014. However, Simmons eventually started speaking about God, later helping his ex-wife find faith.
Related: Rapper DMX Leads 14,000 People in Virtual Bible Study
DMX died in 2021, but before that, during COVID-19, he used his social media platform to host Bible studies.
“He’s the one who introduced me to Christ,” Draughn recalled. “I knew that he knew he was being used for Christ. But I saw the constant fight he was battling. He was battling between good and evil.”
“To be totally transparent, I was lost,” she continued. “I lost myself. I lost my soul in that marriage. If it wasn’t for my oldest son saying that one day, he said, ‘If the next time I see my father and hear him abusing you verbally, I’m going to kill him.'”
“I saw the look in his eyes and I realized that if you’re not going to do it for yourself, Shera, you have to do it for your children,” the mother of four said.
She recalled the moment she experienced Jesus’ presence for the first time.
“I didn’t know Jesus the way I should have, so I was in the closet,” she explained. “Things were going really bad. It was going really left, and I cried the hardest cry. I mean, it was from my soul. It was from my spirit. I did not know what else to do. I felt warmth, a peace that I’ve never ever experienced before. And at the time, it was scary. But when I had to replay it, it was Jesus because I was crying out, ‘If You were real, You would come see me. You would show me Your love. This is not what You say You’re about.’ And that’s what I was saying in that moment, and then He came.”
This year, Draughn released a book titled Dying to Self, which explores her spiritual journey.
In it, she “invites readers to embark on a transformative spiritual journey that promises not only personal growth, but a profound rebirth. This inspiring self-help guide dives deep into the process of “dying to self,” a concept deeply rooted in letting go of the old to make room for the new, offering a path to a life of greater purpose, peace, power, and fulfillment,” a synopsis of the book reads.
Now, Draughn uses her social media platform to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
“In my story, God gets the glory,” a post from earlier this year reads.
“It’s YOU GOD, it will always be you. Thank you for teaching me how to be intentional. Every blessing I receive — none of it is by my own strength. It’s all because of God’s grace. I don’t want applause, recognition, or praise. I want my life to be a reflection of His goodness, mercy, and power. Whether in success or struggle. I pray that God alone is glorified. Let my story not be about me, but about the One who carried me, changed me, and never let me go,” she added in the caption.
As Draughn looks back on her life, she can see how God used the trials for His glory, and she can now use her story to encourage others.
Read Next: 7 Christian Celebrities Putting Intentional Effort into Their Marriages
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