Beth – 2010 Graduate

Before I came to Mercy, I was depressed, and my life was going nowhere. I had given up on everything and was completely consumed with self-harming, my eating disorder, and trying to figure out how to die. I hated myself and didn’t believe anyone really liked or cared for me. The only way love had been shown to me for most of my life was by sexual, emotional, physical or verbal abuse, so I didn’t understand what love really was. I believed all the lies of the enemy that I was unloved and unlovable, ugly, fat, worthless, just put on Earth to be used, and that I had no future. I would always cope through self-harm and my eating disorder, thinking that I could never be forgiven.

I came to Mercy in June 2009, and God began to do a work in my life that I never thought possible. I went through some really hard things while in the program and through everything, I felt the love of Christ like never before. I was shown how through Him, I can overcome. I went through nine months of radical transformation and graduated in March 2010. God took all the lies of the enemy and showed me who He really is and what He thinks of me.

I know now that I am loved, adored, beautiful, confident, happy, joyful, full of purpose with an abundant life, and I am His princess. He loves to dance me around the room and hold me close! God has also promised to give me back all the years that I’ve lost! God my Father has given me a second chance at life, and I will use it to serve Him faithfully. I run to Him now and not to my issues.

Since graduating from Mercy, six years ago, God is continuing to heal me in areas of my life, and I am gaining more and more freedom every day. There have been many ups and downs, but through them all I have been able to bounce back because now I am equipped with the necessary tools to overcome them. Today I have so many things I never dreamed possible. I was recently adopted by a family who has consistently shown me what a family is supposed to be like. I have a dad who is safe, trustworthy, honoring and lead’s his family as Christ would have him lead us. I have a mama who I can talk to about anything, and is so trustworthy, loving, kind, caring, and gentle. Being a part of their family is one of the biggest gifts that the Lord has ever given me. A scripture that the Lord has given me to hold onto is Joel 2:25: “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” God has and is restoring my life to be better than I could have ever dreamed or imagined. There is so much joy and laughter now in daily choosing LIFE.

Thank you Nancy and Mercy for all that you do. Without you allowing God to use you as a vessel, I am not sure who I would be today, but because of Mercy, I know who I am: a child of the Most High King!