Beautifully and Wonderfully Made : Tessa’s Story

My name is Tessa and I just turned 36. I have 2 teenage children. I have never been married, and I have struggled for most of my life in so many ways, especially financially. We lived pay check to pay check and many times it was worse than that. I had a lot of debt with debt collectors calling all the time. Anxiety was my constant . . . on most days the feeling of guilt, shame and hopelessness was often unbearable. I just didn’t know where to start.

When I first found Love Columbia, little did I know how much God would use them to change my life forever. My life coach walked through the journey of untangling the mess before me. When you come in these doors, your head is down. My coach told me that it’s not failure at all, it’s about capacity. She told me a bucket made to hold 5 gallons is not a failure when it is given 7 gallons of water to hold. It is just out of capacity.

Five years later, I have all my debt paid off, I have a nice savings account. I don’t live pay check to pay check. I just bought my very first car. We actually thrived through COVID. Sometimes you just need help with balancing your capacity. Someone to walk with you while you reset, rebuild, and remind yourself how beautifully and wonderfully you are made. Love Columbia is truly the place where neighbors are helping neighbors.