“Like always, church was awesome. Before I came back to Jesus, I was lonely, broken, and feeling worthless, but through Jesus, I found grace, mercy, and compassion. Now I am filled with love, joy, and hope.”
Hannah Guile moved to Jacksonville at 14. She grew up as a part of a military family and going to church was part of her life. She accepted Christ at a young age and her parents were incredible examples of what it meant to love and serve God.
Hannah was a self-described “good girl.” She was in the worship band, was active in Christian clubs like YoungLife and WyldLife, and was a model student. “I never went to the principal’s office unless it was for something good” she joked. She had over 3,600 hours of community service from solely church stuff. She didn’t drink, do drugs, or have premarital sex.
But her priorities began to shift when she started college at UNF. Her heart wasn’t in the right place. Hannah tried a few campus ministries and said, “I kind of floated around and couldn’t get connected.” Her focus wasn’t on God and the pull of the world was strong.
Hannah stopped going to classes and failed out of school. She started drinking, doing drugs, and got into a bad relationship. “I stopped attending church because I didn’t feel like my heart was in it.” She wasn’t spending time with God and was trying to find her worth in everything but Jesus.
“I was so sad and so broken. I remember being high and sitting at my piano and writing a song about Jesus and His grace and mercy.” I called my mom and she encouraged me and pointed me to Jesus. She struggled some throughout her sophomore year, but she began seeking God again.
In early 2016, Nick Yarborough reached out to her and asked her to play keys at Chets. She’d never been to Chets but served on a worship team with Nick when she was 14. Hannah began attending Chets and occasionally playing keys. She knew God was calling her back to Himself. She started attending the College LifeGroup, found community, and was reminded of who God is. “When I thought I was unworthy, He still loved me. The reason God died on the cross was for me.”
Hannah also started participating YoungLife at UNF that same year and spent a week in the mountains with them. For the first time in a long time, she was reading the Bible and spending alone time with God. Then one night she was asked to share her testimony.
As she was sharing, she was overcome with everything that God had done for her. Hannah said, “I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I felt dirty and didn’t feel deserving of love or grace. But God made me feel clean again, worthy of His love.”
Hannah is now a leader in the Chets College Ministry. She says her testimony of having done it all helps her relate to others and allows honesty and vulnerability. She’s able to say, “I’m not judging you. I’ve been there too. God brought me through.” Now she declares with boldness to anyone who will listen, “No matter what you’ve done, you’re worthy of God’s love.”