Melanie* requested a mentor last April with the message “struggling with my emotions really badly”. She got connected with Penny*, one of our mentors. Melanie shared that she had been raped and her family did not believe her. Penny continued to pray and encourage Melanie as she learned that she was pregnant, sought legal support, and watched her abuser go to jail.
With all the difficulties of her unexpected pregnancy, living with PTSD, the murder of a close friend, and tensions with her mother, Melanie attempted to take her own life shortly after giving birth to her daughter. Thankfully, the Lord allowed her attempt to fail.
After many messages back and forth, Melanie told Penny:
“I wonder... would I have went to heaven if I had died? It’s such a scary feeling to be where I was when I tried to die.”
Penny shared a homily given by Archbishop Adam Exner that shared the message of salvation by grace through faith alone, and Melanie began to recognize her need for Jesus. There were a few days of silence after Penny shared one of our gospel presentations on issuesiface.com.
Finally, Melanie responded. “I read the whole thing. I then prayed and I cried and it was like a release...I was feeling so much lighter in myself...something felt a bit different. I have accepted God into my life. I have asked for forgiveness and I have accepted I am a sinner. I am!! I know I am. And that is true and comes from my heart and I want him in my life so that he can support me and help me and be here for me.”
Penny continues to journey with Melanie, helping her to walk by faith.
Here is a copy of that excerpt.
*names changed to maintain confidentiality