Tell us your name and where you're from?
C: Chante' Reese, from San Antonio TX, born in Houston.
What is your faith story? What can you tell us about your personal life testimony?
C: My faith story would be about the time I first learned to embrace real love, the love of my Heavenly Father.
As a child, I remember my parents telling me and my grandparents I love you, but my parents had a hard time showing me something; they themselves were still trying to learn. For so many years, I felt rejected by everyone. I struggled with identity and always felt like I needed to try and fit in. I mean I tried everything: from trying to dress like other races and their culture to even trying to talk like them. It was bad. But no one told me any different. So I kept going with the flow. I did almost anything to get attention or for anyone to even notice me. I thought trying to get love from a man would satisfy, until I had an encounter with the Father and he reminded me of who I was and who He was, LOVE. It took me 33 years to finally grasp that truth and I am still growing in His love for me and embracing who I am and not to be afraid of it either.
Everyday, I am learning a new side of the Father and I am learning to trust his love for me and the plan that He has already written out for me. I now am in a position to teach others what the love of the father and loving yourself looks like. I'm not there completely, but I'm definitely learning to be good in who He has said I am. I love Him because He first loved me with no strings attached. Just purely.
What is your favorite scripture and why?
C: Romans 8:28 "For all things work together for them who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose." Simply because God has shown me that that he will used every detail of my story to bring others to himself. That shame doesn't exist when I have accepted His love.
If there was one nugget of wisdom in your walk and growth in Christ that you would want to leave us with, what would that be?
Give yourself grace to grow. It's a journey not a race. Remain humble even when you receive revelation about God and who He has called you to be. It doesn't make you better than the next person.
Do you have any resources (devotionals, books, studies) that have helped you that you would recommend?
C: "The Anna Anointing" by Michelle Mclain-Walters and The Bible of course.
Where can we find you online?
Instagram: @1powerfuldaughter
Facebook: chante.reese
Books/ publications: "One Day At A Time: Declaring God's Word Throught Challenges", "One Day At A Time: Declaring God's Word Through Challenges Prayer and Reflection Journal"
Podcasts: Coming Soon
Takeaway:
We can all relate to the tension between identity and love/ attachment. In the psychological world, we call this nurture vs. nature. However, Chante's story reminds us that no matter the environment that we were born in to, God is a Father that seeks to fill our voids. His very nature IS to nurture us in all areas and to heal those wounds and change our dynamics. In everything He does, he does in love FIRST. We love Him because He FIRST loved us. And He loves you so, so much.
Prayer
Lord,
I thank you that we can rejoice in the fact that your very name: El Roi means that you are a God who sees us. And Jehovah Rapha means that you are a God who heals us. Lord, I lift up every reader that may have experienced the residual of feeling unloved today. I pray that they are encouraged in knowing that they are never rejected by you. I pray that they are reminded with confidence that they are not an afterthought- in fact you have CHOSEN them. You call them royal and your special possession (1 Peter 2:9). May they feel your presence and your love today. May they remember that you enjoy them and that you delight over them in singing. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Love you,
R.
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