When I began college, my heart was hurting. I felt trapped in a dark place, deep within a hole. An abusive relationship had led me to depression and anxiety. I felt empty.
I attempted to fill this emptiness with relationships and church. But I couldn’t find the answers I needed.
Life was rough, and I was stuck in the pain of my past. It was during this time that a friend invited me to come to her “life group” — a small gathering of friends who studied the Bible together. The group asked for prayer requests. I spoke up, asking for peace and acceptance of my circumstances. As they prayed, a feeling of calm came over me. That caught my attention.
For the next year, I continued to go to life group.
Then I attended a faith-based retreat called Women’s Weekend. For 48 hours, I was with a caring community of women. I saw how their faith made them different — in a good way — and I realized that’s what I wanted to be like. While on this retreat, I learned more about who God is and how to have a relationship with Him. I placed my trust in Christ at the end of that weekend.
There is a verse in the Bible that perfectly describes where I was and where I am now: “[God] brought me forth into a broad place; He rescued
Two years ago, the idea of trusting God and allowing Him to take care of me was not something I would have thought possible. But through my friends and faith community, I have learned more
I now know how to have a relationship with God even during rough times.
The love I always needed is from God. He delights in me, and He has brought me into a new place.
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