Taylor

I grew up in a household marked by consistent tension, conflict, and abuse. Early on, I began struggling with my mental health, largely due to a lack of trust, love, and support from my parents. This led to depression, self-harm, and a sense of worthlessness during middle school. During this time, my family left the church. In high school, I gave up on fixing my mental health and accepted I was “damaged.” I tried to fill my emptiness with pleasing people, which led me to a life of fake friends, partying, drinking and drugs. College escalated everything. Being away from the people I cared about worsened my mental health, so I threw myself harder into the party scene. I tried to shape myself into whatever others wanted me to be so I wouldn’t be alone. The more I gave of myself, the emptier I became.

Then, I got connected with a campus minister from Cornerstone Christian Church through a barbecue they were hosting for new students at USF. For the first time in my life, I felt I could open up about everything I was going through, without judgement. Through the Bible studies, I began to understand how deeply my life was shaped by rejection and how I had become enslaved to so much sin. The world labeled my pain as incurable, but through the Gospel, I learned how to heal. When I heard about what Jesus did for me on the cross, I understood for the first time what real love looks like, and my life completely changed after I surrendered it to Him in October of 2024. Not only did I stop chasing the sin that had consumed me, but things inside of me shifted. The emptiness I once tried to fill with substances and attention, the Lord replaced with peace, hope, and purpose. The Lord blessed me with new friends at Cornerstone, new desires, fulfillment, and the love that I had been searching for my whole life. If it weren’t for the campus ministers at Cornerstone, I wouldn’t still be here. But now, because of Jesus, my cup is overflowing with joy and hope.

-Taylor