I grew up never having a church home, and when we did go to church it was a ritual or a duty. I never heard about having a relationship with Jesus as my friend, counselor, healer, and Savior. My life continued on and was riddled with physical, mental, and sexual abuse, bad choices, and constant anxiety and fear from the abuse. But I just stuffed it inside, and it ate away at me, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was dead on the inside because of sin and shame.

But even through the pain and brokenness, my soul still felt a yearning for God. I was driving around Maple Lawn in 2015 during a pretty dark time in my life and I saw Grace. I immediately told my husband I wanted to check out the church. I went that Sunday and when I returned, I told my husband this was the church to which I wanted to bring our family.

For the next four years, I started to hear the truth, God’s truths and promises, and all the lies I believed from Satan, the father of all lies. These were painful years of unpacking years of hardship, but I learned these truths weren’t trying to hurt me, they were trying to heal me. God exposed through his church and the community here everything I had stuffed inside. His spirit exposed all of the things from my past hurts holding me captive. He exposed my own sin inflicted out of my woundedness and brokenness. I started receiving his restoration and healing.

I knew it was time for me to declare my faith and be baptized when he spoke to me in an instant, after the years of work he had been performing on my heart and soul. He said to me, “This burden isn’t mine to carry anymore, you’re free, forgiven, and I came to redeem you.” Being able to experience the transformation and freedom found in Jesus has me confidently believing that he will bring the good work he started to completion. I strive to keep my eyes fixed on him in all situations, to rest securely in the heart of my good and perfect Father. I cannot wait to see all of the good works he will do in me now!

— Rachel Grice, Baptized April 2019

If you’re interested in being baptized at Grace, click here to learn more and to sign up for our next Baptism Workshop.

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