Before Mercy I dealt with depression and sexual abuse. My childhood was good. I was raised in church and I was a pretty happy little girl. When I was about 8 or 9 I was sexual abused by a family member. I then became very flirty when I shouldn’t have. I felt dirty, ashamed, and confused. When I was a teenager, things really became crazy. I started dealing with depression and I hung out with people that weren’t good for me. If it wasn’t for the grace of God, I am not sure I would be here today. Later in life I really needed a wake-up call because I was going down a very unhealthy path that wasn’t leading me to a good relationship with the Lord. At 24, I started getting more involved in church and not just going on Sunday mornings. I started seeking it out for myself. Around this time, I started dating a guy that lead me to a spirit filled church where my life really started going in the right direction but we broke up. With the help of my parents and friends I met a new Godly man who is now my husband. Our marriage wasn’t at all what I thought it would be.
My husband told me about Mercy about a year before we got married. I had gone to a freedom experience conference where I learned about Mercy. At the time, I was too proud to see that I needed it. A year into our marriage, I applied for Mercy. I wanted to heal our marriage and have a second chance at a healthy life, free of shame and guilt.
I started to see a change in myself about 4-5 months into my time at Mercy. I started being open and surrendering myself to the Lord. I let go and let the Lord lead. Today, I can say I have grown so much into the person God has called me to be. I have found out who I am in Christ, the calling God has upon my life, and the purpose God created in me. I learned that God is like a father to me. Additionally, I learned to identify my needs. For example: space when I am stressed and overwhelmed or ways to have God time and really draw near to Him.
After graduating from Mercy, I plan on getting a job. At some point, I want to start my own alteration business and maybe even be a fitness coach too. I want to get into ministry, especially women’s. I want to serve at my church, maybe even start singing with the worship band. I will let God lead me in all of it. I am going to build healthy relationships with others at church and with friends and family. I hope to get to travel the world with my hubby, and have some fun vacations. Finally, I’m planning on starting a sweet family of our own soon after Mercy and continue working on growing my marriage and keep God at the center of it.
To all the Mercy donors, I am so thankful I had the chance to restore my life and restore my relationship with my God. It has allowed me to get my marriage back so we can really live a life that is healthy and whole. With your support, I now live a free life led by God.