My name is Lindsay Scarbrough and I have been attending Grace for almost a year and it has been such a blessing.
About a year ago, I really started to struggle with anger and later we found out anxiety along with OCD and depression. There were times where I wouldn’t feel emotion at all. I also would feel very guilty for the ways I reacted things because I knew it was wrong. I knew I wasn’t myself and there is nothing more crushing than not knowing why you are reacting a certain way and try as hard as you might, you can’t do anything. It feels like you are drowning. After a particularly bad breakdown, my husband and I decided it was time to see some outside help. I was able to start going to a counselorwho is a Christian and it has been very helpful. I have slowly been able to work through some of the struggles and begin to get better.
During that difficult year, I had changed my major at Hagerstown Community College to Theatre. I was taking a practicum in prop research and construction. This meant that I got to be in the scene shop at school three days a week working on props for the upcoming shows. As the semester progressed, I came to realize that the scene shop and theatre were the place that I was totally fine and didn’t struggle with the compulsions and anxiety. I could work with my hands and do what I love. In May, I was able to reach out and get connect with Maryland Entertainment Group [MEG], a theatre company with some connections to Hagerstown Community College. I have had the chance to work with them as a props master and did my first show with them at the end of June. This has been a huge blessing and a wonderful opportunity.
As I have seen the Lord bless me in theatre with providing the opportunity with MEG and bringing me to a place where I don’t struggle and have had a place to heal, I know that it is where I need to be. I hope that He can use me and I can be a light for him as I work in the theatre world. It is my desire to glorify Him in all that I do.
I have seen God’s grace in my life, especially through the past year. Going to a counselor and seeking that help was a very difficult step for me to take. I had never imagined having to deal with words like compulsions, depression, and coping. Without God’s help and giving me strength, I don’t think I could have taken that step in seeking help and would be in that dark place I was a year ago. I have also seen God’s grace in my life in leading me to the theatre program at the college and blessing my efforts in that and my job with MEG. It is because of the Lord and His grace and mercy, that I where I am today. His grace is something I am truly thankful for. I still have a long road ahead and would be most grateful for prayers as I continue to heal.
