Madeline – 2014 Graduate

I was raised in a loving Christian home and accepted Christ when I was very young. As a child, I always tried to please others in order to be accepted, but the more I tried to be the perfect friend, daughter or sister, the more I failed at it. I hated myself for failure. My obsession to be perfect manifested itself externally, and I began acting out through anorexia and bulimia. I also started cutting to numb the pain I felt. I was very depressed and became suicidal.

I heard about Mercy while I was in inpatient treatment. I stubbornly refused to consider Mercy at first, but as my life continued to spiral downward I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to risk it all to try and get my life back. Mercy was my last chance.

At Mercy, God showed me all the ways I have tried to earn my worth, and He said they were all futile. What is the favor of man compared to the favor of God? Now I see that His favor and acceptance are abundant. I can’t earn His grace and love, they are freely given. I am worth more than many sparrows in His eyes, and not one of those small creatures falls to the ground without Him knowing (Matthew 10:29-31).

After graduation, I plan on finding a job and becoming more involved at my church. I want to be part of the movement for change within our Christian community. I believe God wants to use me. I plan on sharing my story with local churches and bringing awareness about abuse, addictions, and depression. I hope that someday I will be placed overseas on the mission field.

I am eternally grateful for the courageous men and women who took on the impossible and believed God for Mercy to come to be. Their faith caused mountains to move and has restored lives, equipping girls to become mountain movers themselves. I praise God for each and every supporter who makes Mercy possible, and I am believing He will use my story to continue furthering the work of Mercy.