I’m Jessi—I’m a new creation in Christ, recovering from the idols of acceptance, control, and body dysmorphia.

I came to Recovery in February 2024, mostly out of desperation. Despite years of counseling, I still found myself stuck in sin cycles and thought patterns that therapy alone couldn’t break. I had recently lost my mom and was slipping deeper into isolation and depression. When I heard Recovery mentioned during Sunday announcements, I felt a gentle tug from the Lord to check it out.

I showed up with minimal expectations, but the Lord met me right where I was. From night one, the leaders led with vulnerability, creating a safe space where I could begin to name the fears, doubts, and shame I had carried for so long. I remember thinking, “Is it really okay to say these things out loud?” Up until that point, my only experience with confession had been with a counselor—never among peers.

I had been craving real, honest community for years—people who weren’t afraid to talk about the hard things. It was that authenticity that drew me in and ultimately led me to commit to a step study. That journey invited me to dig deep into the roots of my pain and the distorted beliefs I held about myself and about God.

It helped me recognize that while my childhood was marked by addiction, mental illness, and generational trauma, it didn’t have to define me. The Lord wanted to free me from my old coping mechanisms—over-functioning, perfectionism, and chasing validation through achievement, image, and relationships—so I could finally rest in His love, feel safe, and know I am worthy.

Through Recovery, the Lord gently revealed that I didn’t just need healing from what was done to me—I also needed to repent and be restored from what was coming from me: my pride, my need for control, and my self-reliance.

For a long time, I found identity in my pain. I used my story to justify my sin. But the Lord showed me that the purpose of my testimony isn’t to define who I am—it’s to declare whose I am. Through weekly confession and vulnerability, the Lord began to rewrite the lies I had believed for so long.

James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” That’s what Recovery gave me—healing through honesty, grace, and prayer.

The community I’ve found here has become like family and was the catalyst for me becoming a covenant member at The Well.

Recovery has been so impactful that I’ve now stepped into leadership, walking alongside other women in their journeys. It’s a sacred honor to witness their healing and see the redemptive work of God unfold in their lives.

Week after week, I’m reminded that I’m not alone—and I’m continually encouraged by the vulnerability and courage I see around me. Recovery is where we share the “last 10%” —the parts we usually keep hidden—and are met not with shame, but with, “Thank you for sharing.” It’s where God meets us in our full humanity and chooses to partner with us again and again.

Joel 2:25 says, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” I’ve seen Him do just that—restoring what was lost, what was stolen, and what once felt too broken to fix.

Freedom, I’ve learned, isn’t the absence of struggle. It’s the ability to follow Jesus even in our weakness. It’s knowing that when I fall back into old patterns, I’m still covered by grace. Healing is a process—but one that always leads us closer to the heart of God. And that’s where true freedom lives.