Before Maria came to Christ, she was desperate for love.  Without a father figure in her life, she was looking for love in all the wrong places.  At the age of 17, she found herself in a bad relationship.  At 18, she was pregnant and gave birth to her daughter.  The father of her baby left her shortly after.  He took everything with him and told Maria she’d never be anything without him.  Her world was shattered, and she was alone. 

Danielle didn’t start out going to church, but later her family started bringing her. After a few years, she stopped.  At that point in her life, she knew she was not making good choices and sinning. She was suffering and going through a lot. Danielle didn’t know if she believed in God at this point.  A couple of times, she felt like she didn’t even want to be here.

In 2020, the Buckles family experienced the loss of their son Hudson, which led their faith to be tested. It felt devastating, as they had spent years having a deep relationship with the Lord only to feel abandoned. They began counseling shortly after Hudson’s death, and it was during this timeframe they began to internalize Psalm 13. The Buckles family learned about the truth of lament: God wants us to bring our struggles to Him.