We invited Grace, one of our beloved mothers at BJM, to share a reflection on this past year and the hopes that have been ignited in her heart and spirit for 2017.

“This year was hard because of my health – both physically and mentally. My daughter, Samantha, was my motivation. Even in the hardest times, I got out of bed to make sure she had all her needs met. I was excited when I realized Samantha was growing spiritually and that motivated me to grow.

One of the first ways I can see that I started to grow was through worship. I was raised believing that you weren’t able to move or dance in church. I believed that I wasn’t able to take communion because there was something wrong with me. However, this year I experienced real worship for the first time and felt God close to me and the Holy Spirit in me.

I can feel Him working in me, especially when it has to do with my health. Each time something comes up with my physical health, I pray and can see God. I also know how it feels to be depressed or struggle with anxiety and nightmares. I know that God is healing me because there’s been a big change in me and it happened when I started to worship and was surrounded by His love.

Looking forward to 2017, I want to keep learning and growing. I want to take a Bible class and learn how to read the Bible. It can be so complicated for me and I don’t understand a lot of it sometimes. I would love to have a group to help me learn, like Mothers’ Brunch. The mothers of BJM are really close. I can be really shy but am comfortable at The Well, where we laugh and meet together. I think it’s beautiful to see people that love Jesus. I want to be a strong believer, too.

I would like to explore my spiritual gifts. I’ve asked God what gifts I have and He told me that I am kind and care about people deeply. I know I can help make people feel loved and accepted. In my building, there are a lot of people who have different backgrounds and addictions and I have been able to get closer to people there. I was able to break through with one of the ladies there simply by smiling at her. She was going through so much in her life and she told me that because I smiled at her, she felt like I wasn’t judging her. She told me, ‘You do not know how much a smile means to me because every time I cross paths with you, you smile and never jerk away from me or anything. That made a big difference to me.’

I want to see God move in my life and see these gifts more developed. BJM is the place for this to happen and I’m excited to be more involved in things like Nail Day. I’m learning what is really important to me in life right now, and my biggest goal is getting to know who Jesus is. I want to be healthier, not just physically but also mentally. I believe I can only get that through Him. There’s no other way. There is no medicine that can cure this because I’ve tried everything and it did not work. My only path is Him. I want God to take me in His arms and guide me. I know through Him, I can raise Samantha to be strong in her relationship with God too. With her going to high school next year, I need His help to know how to be a good mother and support her. She needs that. If I can teach Sam to respect herself through God, I am sure she will grow into a better person and will know how to make right decisions.

I need community, it’s the only way I can get through. We need somewhere women can go and express themselves and just be family. We need The Well. Imagine how many groups we can have there – like Mothers’ Brunch, Bible studies and even a place where women can just share their testimonies together. Hearing what other people have been through is always empowering. The Well is like a safe haven where I know I can go where I know you guys will be there to welcome me and other women.”

BJM believes in Grace. We believe in women like Grace. We believe women and girls are powerful. The Well creates a safe space for women to encounter Jesus, discover who they are and bravely step out in faith by using their God-given gifts in a loving community.

Donate now to partner with us to see these programs pioneered and expanded. We need you to Ignite What Matters this holiday season and to continue to fan the flame of hope that’s catching in the heart of women and girls at The Well.

Grace, Mother of BJM Dancer, Friend of BJM: Reflection and Hope