Trophy of Grace The Powerful True Life Story of Frankie Guy FROM A TO A dcatTfAdcatTfAIt was my frI had tried tand took ththat nearly myself. ThisThinking bain life’s ragifrom the timin my own mAlcohol washeard my srelated.” Thione safe spa
My firstborn Vinny was five months old, and I was awash in a mixture of guilt, shame, and post-partum depression. In my early teens, I had started cutting, and I was doing so at this very moment! My baby was crying inconsolably, and I was trying to calm him. Yet I was lost in my own self-harm! In despair, I thought, “How can I take care of this baby when I can’t even take care of myself?!” Suddenly, my phone rang! It was my friend, Tessa. She was outside ready to take me to lunch I had tried to kill myself several times earlier. At twelve, I grabbed a bunch of pills from my parents’ closet and took them. I hallucinated all night long, seeing faces and hearing voices. That formed many patterns that nearly destroyed me. I was thirteen when I thought I had to pay for my own sin, so I began cutting myself. This continued for the next eleven years. Thinking back, I can recall several necessary anchors in a person’s life that had failed me and left me adrift in life’s raging sea. First, my family failed me. I’ve never met my real dad. I was raised by my stepdad from the time I was one. At the age of three, someone began to molest me. This caused wires to be crossed in my own mind and thinking and led to a promiscuous life as I grew older. ygppssion. In my early teens, I had started cutting, and I was doing so at this very moment! My baby was inconsolably, and I was trying to calm him. Yet I was lost in my own self-harm! In despair, I thought, w can I take care of this baby when I can’t even take care of myself?!” Suddenly, my phone rang! my friend, Tessa. She was outside ready to take me to lunch tried to kill myself several times earlier. At twelve, I grabbed a bunch of pills from my parents’ closet ook them. I hallucinated all night long, seeing faces and hearing voices. That formed many patterns early destroyed me. I was thirteen when I thought I had to pay for my own sin, so I began cutting f. This continued for the next eleven years. ng back, I can recall several necessary anchors in a person’s life that had failed me and left me adrift ’s raging sea. First, my family failed me. I’ve never met my real dad. I was raised by my stepdad he time I was one. At the age of three, someone began to molest me. This caused wires to be crossed own mind and thinking and led to a promiscuous life as I grew older. ol was a regular part of our home. It sparked arguments, fights, and so much more. One day, I over my step-grandmother say, “I’m not calling Frankie my granddaughter, because she’s not blood ygppssion. In my early teens, I had started cutting, and I was doing so at this very moment! My baby was inconsolably, and I was trying to calm him. Yet I was lost in my own self-harm! In despair, I thought, w can I take care of this baby when I can’t even take care of myself?!” Suddenly, my phone rang! my friend, Tessa. She was outside ready to take me to lunch tried to kill myself several times earlier. At twelve, I grabbed a bunch of pills from my parents’ closet ook them. I hallucinated all night long, seeing faces and hearing voices. That formed many patterns early destroyed me. I was thirteen when I thought I had to pay for my own sin, so I began cutting f. This continued for the next eleven years. ng back, I can recall several necessary anchors in a person’s life that had failed me and left me adrift ’s raging sea. First, my family failed me. I’ve never met my real dad. I was raised by my stepdad he time I was one. At the age of three, someone began to molest me. This caused wires to be crossed own mind and thinking and led to a promiscuous life as I grew older. ol was a regular part of our home. It sparked arguments, fights, and so much more. One day, I over my step-grandmother say, “I’m not calling Frankie my granddaughter, because she’s not blood yyyypgTessa. She was outside ready to take me to lunch myself several times earlier. At twelve, I grabbed a bunch of pills from my parents’ closet hallucinated all night long, seeing faces and hearing voices. That formed many patterns oyed me. I was thirteen when I thought I had to pay for my own sin, so I began cutting nued for the next eleven years. an recall several necessary anchors in a person’s life that had failed me and left me adrift a. First, my family failed me. I’ve never met my real dad. I was raised by my stepdad as one. At the age of three, someone began to molest me. This caused wires to be crossed and thinking and led to a promiscuous life as I grew older. gular part of our home. It sparked arguments, fights, and so much more. One day, I overrandmother say, “I’m not calling Frankie my granddaughter, because she’s not blood ke my heart and left me wondering where I could turn! Though my Grandpa Frank was my n large part, family had failed me.
Alcohol was a regular part of our home. It sparked arguments, fights, and so much more. One day, I overheard my step-grandmother say, “I’m not calling Frankie my granddaughter, because she’s not blood related.” This broke my heart and left me wondering where I could turn! Though my Grandpa Frank was my one safe space, in large part, family had failed me. Relationships failed me. As I grew older, I sought to fill my emptiness with many inappropriate relationships. This led to loose living for several years. This lifestyle resulted in a great deal of emotional scarring and frustration because it is not God’s way. Eventually, I found the love of my life, and we were married. Though he met my needs, my soul was still searching. Nothing seemed to fill this hole in my heart! Throughout my life, religion had failed me. I was raised in a non-religious home, but when I was in first grade, we attended a Samoan church in California. I remember in third grade earnestly praying to God. I was sincere and likely would have responded if anyone had pointed me to the love of Christ. No one did. Soon this fervor faded and was replaced with other interests. Later, as a young adult, I worked as a nanny for a devout Catholic lady. I thought it would be interesting to pursue her religion, and I genuinely tried for a while. She became my mentor and told me it was a
mortal sin to use contraception. Whatever a “mortal sin” meant sounded awful, so my boyfriend and I stopped using contraception. Shortly thereafter, I became pregnant. As a result, my employer/mentor was concerned that being a nanny to her child could cause me harm during my pregnancy, so she terminated my employment. Later, she moved out of the state. This left me disappointed, disillusioned, and looking for a job. Religion had surely failed me. At 22, I reached a breaking point. I was covered in blood from cutting myself and was about to commit suicide, when Tessa, my friend, called and said, “Hey, I’m outside and ready to go to lunch!” Awash in thoughts of self and despair, I had completely forgotten about our lunch plans. I was a mess! I thought, “What am I going to do?” I opened the door, and Tessa stood there, momentarily shocked. Then she sprang into action, putting me in her car and driving me straight to the hospital. She saved my life! There, the doctors tended to my wounds and then admitted me into the 51/50 hold in the psych ward. Sometime after my release, I began working at Tesco Controls and soon rose to the position of trainer. One of my trainees named Alexandra befriended me and invited me to church.
It was in the fall of 2016 when I attended Bible Fellowship Baptist church in Rancho Cordova, California. I had been to several churches at this point, but none matched the warmth and friendliness of the people there. As Pastor Blankenship began preaching the Bible, I was captivated. I had never heard this before! At some point in the message, he preached about a false religion, and it triggered my worldly, brainwashed mind. I was so mad the next day that I told Alexandra, “I’ll never, ever go back to your church!” Undeterred, she asked, “What if I take you to Starbucks for coffee, and then we can go together?” Coffee won out, and I agreed to go. At that second service the gospel was made exceedingly clear. The preacher explained that everyone was guilty of breaking God’s law. God’s law was given “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). Because we’ve sinned, a penalty must be paid. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so, death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). That penalty is death and ultimately Hell. He then told the most amazing love story I had ever heard. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and then died a bloody, cruel, and undeserved death on the cross in our place. He was buried and three days later, He rose again from the grave, conquering death and Hell. The truth that so amazed me was that He did this all for me!
I had spent my whole life thinking I could pay for my sins. This led to self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and other hardships I inflicted upon myself as “payment.” Yet the Bible teaches Jesus had already paid for my sins on the cross. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). Having a father that never wanted me, accepted me, or even sought to see me, I was stunned to discover that God loved me. It was difficult to comprehend that He wanted to be my Father, that He is good, and that His love is unconditional. I was overwhelmed and overjoyed to think that the God of the Bible loved me, came to me in the form of His Son, and paid for my sins completely. Even more, He was offering me His righteousness! My sin debt had been completely paid by the blood that He shed on the cross. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
When the pastor invited those interested to come and receive God’s gift of eternal life, I quickly came forward. Karen, his wife, took me aside and shared some more Bible verses about salvation. There, I bowed my head, and asked the Lord Jesus to forgive and cleanse me of my sin. I trusted Him that day, and He saved me. I was 26 years old! Jesus forgave all my sin, anger, and hatred and replaced it with His amazing love! Jesus restored my marriage and made it a joyful and happy one. Jesus took away my guilt and shame and replaced it with forgiveness and peace! Jesus changed my destiny from Hell to Heaven instantly. Jesus placed me in His hand and in the Father’s hand and made me forever secure. Though family, and relationships, and religion had failed me, and though I had failed myself, Jesus did not fail me! He won’t fail you either. Perhaps you find yourself in a similar situation, bound by guilt, confused by this world, and let down by those around you. Would you turn to Jesus, repent of your unbelief, and call upon Him to save you right now? He alone is ready, able, and willing to take your broken heart and heal it in a moment. Please stop what you are doing and accept His gift of eternal life! In your own words, pray something like this, from a sincere and believing heart: “Dear Lord, I am a guilty sinner, bound for hell and broken by my sin! I don’t deserve your love. Yet I know you paid for my sin completely by shedding your blood and dying on the cross, and I know you rose again to save me. Right now, I receive you by faith and
accept your gift of eternal life. Please come into my heart. Wash away my sin and save me in Jesus’ name!” If you just received Jesus Christ, He just gave you eternal life! “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life” (I John 5:11-12a). Welcome to God’s family! Please scan the QR code below to receive follow-up material that will help you grow as a new believer! Frankie Guy 9900 Horn Road | Sacramento, CA 95827 aboutbfbc.com Service Times: Sunday Morning: 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. • Sunday Evening: 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Evening: 7:00 p.m. (Bible Study & Prayer & Children’s Ministry)