It was a Friday evening youth fellowship. The theme was *"Scars That Speak"* — and the leader had asked if anyone felt led to share a testimony of how God brought them out of something personal. Felicia's heart began to pound the moment she heard it.
*Share?*
Her palms got sweaty. Her mind flooded with *What ifs...*
*What if they judge me? What if they look at me differently? What if I say too much?*
But there was a louder voice this time — calm and clear.
*"It's not about you. It's about Me. Let your scar speak."*
Felicia stood up slowly. The room grew quiet as she walked to the front. Her legs shook slightly, but her spirit was steady.
She held the mic and looked around. "Hi everyone. My name is Felicia…"
She paused and smiled nervously. "And I used to be addicted to masturbation."
Gasps. Silence.
She continued. "I carried shame for so long. I felt dirty, trapped, and convinced that God could never love someone like me. I hid behind my clothes, my smile, and even my service in church. But deep down, I was struggling. Drowning."
Felicia glanced at the ground. "But one day, I broke. I opened up to a friend — Ann — and she didn't judge me. She loved me, reminded me of who God says I am, and led me back to Jesus. That day, I cried like I never had before. But for the first time, I felt clean."
She looked up, eyes shining with tears. "I'm not here because I'm perfect. I'm here because grace is real. Jesus broke my chains. I still have temptations, but now I fight with the Word. And every day, I choose freedom."
The room was still silent — but it wasn't shameful silence. It was *holy.*
Then… applause. Not the kind that comes from hype, but the kind that comes from people who had just seen *hope*.
After the service, three other girls came up to Felicia in tears.
"I've been struggling too," one whispered. "I thought I was the only one."
"Thank you for speaking up. You've no idea what you just did," another said.
Felicia hugged them tightly. *This is why I went through that,* she thought. *So others won't have to stay stuck in silence.