Elyse – 2010 Graduate
Growing up, I felt like I had to be perfect in order to be accepted and loved, so I wore a lot of masks. After a while, I didn’t know who I was anymore. It seemed that no matter what I did, everyone left me, and I felt rejected, abandoned and forgotten. My life was spinning out of control, so I began starving myself, abusing laxatives and diet pills, over-exercising, and cutting in order to deal with all the pain and hurt. I cried out to God for help. One night I couldn’t sleep so I downloaded one of Joyce Meyer’s podcasts. She was interviewing Nancy, and they were talking about Mercy and how it was a program for girls who struggled with some of the issues that I was dealing with. I knew Mercy was where I needed to go.
When I first got to Mercy, I tried to act like everything was okay. I would smile all the time, but the staff kept encouraging me that it was okay not to be happy and smile and to just be real. It was so freeing! God has totally changed my life, and for the first time I have hope for my future. I know now that I don’t have to be perfect in order for God to accept and love me.
I can’t believe it has been almost five years since I graduated from Mercy! I have found the Lord to be so faithful in every step of the way. I love the scripture that says, “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” He lights up my path in every step I take and directs me which way I need to go. When I moved for school I found the most amazing church. I fell in love with the church as they welcomed me with arms wide open, despite my past. What I loved the most was that my pastor’s wife has a heart for Mercy girls. After returning to the area, I got offered a position to work in the church. I was floored that God would give me such an opportunity. I am actively volunteering in a program called Mercy in Motion, which helps hurting girls through difficult life circumstances. God has turned my whole life around and is now using my past to help girls who are in similar situations that I was once in. I am incredibly thankful for the things that I have walked through because the Lord is using it to bring freedom to others! Thank you to those who have donated to Mercy. I cannot begin to express how much you have impacted my life as well as thousands of other girls through your giving!