Growing up, I had a lot of pent-up anger and resentment because of my parents’ constant arguments and disagreements. Since I didn’t know how to deal with the repressed emotions, they quickly turned to deep sadness—a sadness that was accompanied by mind consuming, suicidal thoughts.

It didn’t help that my boyfriend at the time (who was twice my age) was physically and emotionally abusive. This only exacerbated my insecurities. In the following years, things worsened; I was abused, began self-harming and fell pregnant, only to lose the child after being assaulted by my then boyfriend. It seemed like every event in my life led me down a never-ending spiral of misery.

I came to the Universal Church feeling desperate. A friend had introduced me to it. There, I met people who were truly happy, and I wanted that too. I wanted to break the cycle of bad events in my life. This is why I decided to do whatever it took to also receive my own happiness and peace.

I opened up to the advisors about what I had been through. I felt unburdened speaking out and the support I received encouraged me to believe that things could be different for me. The Challenge of Faith was like a lifeline for me. Choosing to take part was me proving to myself that I was ready to make the necessary changes to get my life back.

I cut out all the things that only brought me trouble, including people, habits, or even places. I decided that anything that didn’t reflect the new person that I was trying to become, had to go. Within a matter of weeks, I saw changes in my overall outlook on life. It was as though the gloomy cloud that seemed to hang constantly over my head had finally lifted. Slowly but surely, the way that I saw myself changed. I valued my life and understood that, despite everything that I’d been through, I could have a bright future.

In time, I went on to form a better relationship with my parents and, the more I changed, the more I saw improvements in my family as a whole. Today, I can say that I have a blessed relationship with my family; I no longer feel down and I always look forward to the future regardless of the hard times because I know God is in me and with me.

My advice to anyone going through anything similar to what I’ve been through is to give yourself a chance. Your past doesn’t have to define your future. Go forward and don’t look back. It may be difficult, but it won’t be impossible and the Universal is the perfect place to help you take that first step. It worked for me, so why wouldn’t it work for you?’

Rhoda Adusei