I didn’t grow up in the church. My childhood was marked by instability and the chains of addiction that seemed to follow my family. My mother did her best to shield us from the chaos, but it was always there—lingering in the background. My father was often absent, and when he was around, addiction had a strong hold on him. As I grew older, I found myself fighting many of the same battles I had watched others lose. Addiction and mental health struggles became part of my own story. 

After becoming a mother, I faced postpartum depression and the deep loneliness that came with it. I often felt like I was drifting through life— trying to fill a void I couldn’t name. Losing my mom when I was 25 was one of the hardest moments of my life. I couldn’t understand why God would allow that kind of pain. I felt lost, angry, and broken. But in that season of grief and confusion, God began to draw me closer. 

Through the years, I’ve carried a longing for peace—for a place where I truly belonged. Slowly, God began showing me that He had been there all along. He met me in my anxiety, in my doubts, and in my weakness. I’ve learned to give my worries and my past to Him, even when it’s hard. I’m still a work in progress—but I’ve come to see that faith is about walking one day at a time with Jesus, trusting that He is healing what I cannot fix. 

Today, I choose to be baptized as a symbol of letting go of the old and embracing the new life God has given me. I’m leaving behind the chains of the past and stepping into His grace—free, loved, and redeemed. I want to be baptized because I want to let go of the person I used to be—the one held down by fear, anxiety, and shame—and step into the freedom and peace that come from walking with Jesus.