Heather – 2012 Graduate

I used to think of my family as “Sunday Christians”–we went to church on Sundays but lived the rest of the week outside of God’s will. Our home had so much fighting, and I often felt responsible for the broken relationships. I also felt pressured to be perfect. When I was thirteen, I started restricting my food, binging, and purging. I moved in and out of treatment centers, but I was never healed. No matter how thin I became, I was addicted to my eating disorders and couldn’t be satisfied. I didn’t realize my need for help until I was suspended my from collegiate swim team the semester before graduation.

I had been told about Mercy from several graduates and my youth leader, so I applied, knowing it could show me the path to freedom. While at Mercy, I learned that God truly knows me! I am valuable to Him and my voice matters. He also showed me that I am loved unconditionally, and I don’t have to work for His grace. It is the greatest gift I could receive. I now know that as long as God is satisfied with me, I am satisfied with me. My worth doesn’t come from other people’s approval. There’s such freedom in these truths.

After graduating from Mercy, I will finish college and apply to graduate school to become a middle school guidance counselor. It’s my dream to give students the hope they so desperately need. Thank you, Mercy, for introducing me to God’s grace. Today, I’m living in joy.