Meet Tiffany Stephens

My family moved from Atlanta, Georgia to the Woodlands in 2012 for my husband’s job.
Without family nearby, we knew church community was necessary for us to
thrive. We decided Faith Bible would be the first church we would attend. After an
amazing service, we were invited to the Fellowship Class Adult Community Class. By the
end of that meeting, we were invited to a small group. Our toddler loved her Sunday
school. Needless to say, we never visited another church. We found our community and
family in Christ. Over the years, I’ve worked in the nursery and helped out with the
women’s ministry, while my husband became a deacon. We welcomed another family
member in 2015 and our Faith Bible family filled the void of having a child away from our
family.

A few months before our move to Texas, I was diagnosed with mental illness - major
depression and anxiety. Though my mental illness was a result of genetics and trauma, I carried shame for conditions that I had no part in choosing. I allowed that shame to live in my heart due to the stigma surrounding mental health. Our move to Texas was not only a new start for my family but the beginning of my own faith journey.

The following year, a psychiatrist told me that I would most likely need to be on
medication for the rest of my life. The news was devastating to this young mom in her
twenties and I wrestled with God. I tried to understand the “why” and came closer to
knowing the “Who.” God is a healer. Jehovah-Rapha means “The Lord Who Heals” in
Hebrew. I trust that my healing will come even if it is not on this side of heaven. It may
be the “thorn in my flesh” that Paul speaks of in Corinthians 12, which keeps me
dependent on God. Through depression and anxiety, I have learned to thank God for the smallest things I am able to accomplish and seek His help for the things I fall short.

Many Christians suffer with mental illness and are afraid to seek help due to stigma.
Depression is not due to a lack of faith. Faith is actually what gives me hope, knowing
my healing will come. God has also put some of the best women around me who
reflect His love and grace on the hardest of days. When my mental illness tries to convince me that I am alone, with God, I know that I am never alone.