Sharing Through Stories
"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.
~ Psalm 107:2 ESV
Take a moment to read the stories of some sisters that have offered to share their journey to being free. filled. favored. The names have been changed for their protection.
"I've been forced to take a long hard look at ME and the things that held me down in my relationship with my Heavenly Father and in some part Life. While I can't put all of it down, the major issue is fact that I can't seem to forgive ME for past mistakes and sins. I know that God has forgiven me and that I can and should be able to live whole trusting in God, but I keep feeling unworthy of His unfailing grace. My past mistakes and sexual sins had a grip on me that I couldn't seem to shake. Throughout the class, I've begun to trust the fact that I'm not the mistakes I've made. I'm not the sins I have committed. I can state that I am FREE. I'm thankful for a heart that quickly runs to God when I know I've disappointed Him with my behavior and choices -- something that the old me never would have done."
~ Tracy, Free. Filled. Favored.
"High school was when everything began to change externally, but middle school is where I remember the shift happening. I was suddenly more aware of my weight and appearance than ever before, and every day it became clearer how they influenced my life and social status. There was actually a point where I grew to hate my appearance so badly that I would cut my face out of every picture I was in. I stopped caring about school altogether. I began to lose myself in my thoughts, quit all of my hobbies, and isolated myself from my family, even going so far as to start drinking Nyquil by the bottle just to go to sleep at night. I found myself believing and and telling others, "I know God is real. He just doesn't care about me." I stopped going to church, stopped praying --I was just living day by day. When I was 16, someone struck me over the head with a blunt object which caused bleeding beneath my skull, and if it didn't drain on its own, I'd have to undergo surgery. They say no walls know prayer like those of a hospital, and for me, this proved to be true. That was the first time I'd prayed in years, and God healed me. I just turned 23, and I would love to say that I'm completely free from whatever spirit fell over me years ago, but I'm not. My prayer is that this doesn't frame me as weak and insecure, because despite the battles I've faced (and still fight), I know that God has a plan for me. Every crack that I should have fallen through, He carried me over; and because of that, I know that there is a purpose for me being here.
~ Jenna, Free. Filled. Favored.
In college, I found myself in a violent relationship. Knives were pulled, fists were flying, things were thrown -- often. I was involved in clubs, sorority events, professional networking. Family and friends perceived me to be thriving. I was far from God, didn't own a Bible and occasionally, I would stumble into church if I recovered in time from the night before. I was at an all-time low and never cried out to God. But His GRACE! In January 2017, I traveled to Cuba as a way to disconnect and get centered. It was in Cuba that God revealed Himself to me. He reminded me that I belonged to Him, and it was time to re-prioritize. I came back to America with a renewed zeal to live a better life. I began to pursue a more minimalist life and made a vow of celibacy. I realized that God had never left me, and I began to desire learning more about Him and how He's called me to live my life. In this season, I am turning to God to guide every single step that I take as I don't want to revert back to living a life where I can't hear Him. While the journey of dying to self isn't easy, His grace is sufficient, and living a life that is pleasing in His sight is so worth it.
~ Yara, Free. Filled. Favored.