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by Liz Horne CassonAt the age of 17, I won a national modeling competition in England to be a cover girl for Just Seventeen Magazine. Two years later, after I finished studying art and fashion design, I began my full-time modeling career in Milan, Italy. I loved the traveling and excitement of doing jobs with such magazines as Harper's Bazaar, Donna and Amica.
But the excitement turned to anxiety when, early in my career, parts of my body broke out in severe eczema sores (Eczema is a non-contagious skin inflammation marked by itching and sores that become scaly.) I had to cancel a lot of shoots and was sent home from other modeling jobs. New in the business, I already felt extremely vulnerable to the criticism of photographers and others in the fashion industry. Having the eczema made me even more insecure.
Desperate for a cure
I was desperate to rid myself of this awful skin affliction. I tried everything: specialist doctors, faith healers, good luck charms, holistic remedies and many New Age practices. I met some people in the business who were into Buddhism and accompanied them to a meeting in a vain attempt to get healed. It didn't help. I came back to England and my agent suggested I visit a spiritualist-faith healer and try using crystals. That didn't work. I was so confused about what to do with my problem, my career and my life.
A person at my agency took an interest in my desperate situation. But instead of telling me about yet more New Age remedies, she told me about Jesus. I had always believed in God and had tried to be a good person, but I came to understand that wasn't enough. I recognized that I was born a sinner like everyone else and that Jesus had died for me. I made the decision to surrender my life to Him and to start again--I wanted to be 'born again.'
Loneliness amidst the glamour
My newfound faith did not take off straight away. With no Christian friends, no regular church fellowship and very little Bible reading, I did not grow in my relationship with Christ.
For the next two years I worked in London, Paris and Munich. I appeared in such European magazines as Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire. I was doing editorial, beauty campaigns, advertising and catalog work. During this time I had made some halfhearted attempts to find churches in some of the places I worked, but I had no regular fellowship. I didn't realize how spiritually dry I was becoming. I started to look to material possessions and socializing to fulfill me, but I just felt empty.
I was lonely, unfulfilled and still suffering with my eczema when I decided to try going to church again. The sense of community and love that I received there really touched me and I realized that I had found what had been missing all those lonely years of traveling. I renounced my involvement with New Age medicine and the occult and I asked Jesus to heal me. My obsession with finding an "instant" cure for my eczema turned into a desire to do God's will. I wanted to make up the ground I had lost after first committing my life to Him.
I also prayed for fellowship and God soon answered this cry of my heart by sending me on a trip to America, where I met up with the "Models for Christ" fellowship. Now, instead of feeling isolated in my faith, I was surrounded by fellow Christians and my faith grew. I've learned how important it is to get really secure in God's love and to build your faith on the rock. The fashion industry is built on shifting sand. It's only when we cling to the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ, that we find protection and security within.
On a mission
After moving back to England, I went on a modeling assignment where I met up with former Ford model Claudia McClintock-Lyon. She had just finished a "Discipleship Training School" on the Youth with a Mission ship, Anastasis, and could hardly contain her excitement. I had already prayed about doing something similar and this was just the confirmation I needed. So I applied to join the program and took a five-month break from modeling.
My time on the ship was challenging. God was performing soul surgery. Before, if I didn't like a particular situation, I'd just pack my bags and move to a different country. It was pure escapism. Now I was learning to understand my selfish nature how to put it aside and become more servant-hearted.
After three months of intensive Bible study and lectures on the ship, we landed in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where we did both medical and evangelism work. The country was war torn and overflowing with people who were left with little or nothing. The ravages of poverty really tugged at my heart.
My time in Africa was one of the most exciting and happiest experiences of my life so far; the other was getting married to my husband, Martin Casson, an answer to prayer.
God also answered my other prayer. He completely healed me from my long battle with eczema. I haven't been troubled by eczema for nearly two years. It was Jesus who healed me of my skin disease, not New Age remedies. Unfortunately, I have learned the hard way. I wouldn't want anyone to go through the same kind of long suffering I went through to learn what I finally came to realize: Jesus is the only way to complete happiness and healing.
What about you? Have you come to a place of trusting Christ as your leader and forgiver? Learn more at Journey of Joy. Perhaps you've already given your life to Christ, and now you would like to take the next step in growing in your relationship with Him.
God has given you His Holy Spirit to help you live life according to His perfect plan. As you depend on Him, He will "strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being" (Ephesians 3:16-17).
Why not pray this simple prayer right now and by faith invite God to fill you with His Spirit:
Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ's death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reprinted with permission from Models for Christ.
