There hasn’t been a time in my life when I haven’t been tangled up with social services or the family courts. It’s like a shadow that never leaves—always there, always watching, always controlling. Just when you think you’ve escaped, they find another way to pull you back in.
I’ve seen the darkest corners of myself during this journey. I’ve hit rock bottom with my mental health. I’ve broken down more times than I can count. And yet, somehow… I’m still standing.
Everyone has their own way of understanding hope—some find it in people, some in books, some in belief. For me, I was saved by God.
Today is Easter Sunday. A day meant for hope, resurrection, and new life. Yet I sit here without my children. They are trapped in a system that refuses to let go. But even in this loneliness, I know I’m not truly alone. I have the Lord beside me. Jesus walks with me through this pain, and it is His love that has lifted me from the depths of despair.
Faith gave me a lifeline. Not just in prayers and scripture—but in people. I’ve found a home in a community that doesn’t judge, doesn’t dismiss, and doesn’t walk away when things get hard. Even when they don’t fully understand, they still hold space for me. That kind of love is rare. That kind of love is holy.
I don’t go to church to say I’m a good person. I go to church to become a better one. To heal. To grow. To keep going.
When you’re facing the weight of the system, when social services seem to strip you of your identity and worth, it takes everything to keep moving forward. For me, the strength of the church—the love of God—gives me that push every single day.
I know I’m not the only one walking this road. So if you’re in the thick of it too, if you’re fighting and hurting and wondering if anyone sees you… I want you to know: you’re not alone. You never were.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
— Psalm 34:18
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