Cara Kernodle faced every mother’s worst nightmare on Nov. 13, 2022, when her daughter, Xana, was one of four University of Idaho students murdered in an off-campus home.

Reaching a state of peace certainly wasn’t easy for Kernodle. She revealed how she was in a “bad place” after Xana’s murder, struggling with drugs and substances.

“And bad went to worse after it happened,” Kernodle said. “I wish I could say that that was my ‘aha moment,’ that that is when I ran towards Christ, but I ran towards drugs and alcohol instead and ended up getting to a place where I knew that I was either going to die living the way that I was or I could draw close to Jesus, and surrender, and change my life — and hopefully be able to show others Christ through this trauma that I’ve experienced.”

Despite facing time in jail after Xana’s death, Kernodle said she found Jesus and is now walking with the Lord, experiencing a radically changed life.