Meet Marci Boyette

I was quick to raise my hand in Sunday school with the quintessential “Jesus” answer growing up. By the time I was in Junior High, I thought I’d figured it all out and graduated from the whole church thing ha! Even still, I struggled with my worth and was oftentimes anxiety ridden. I sought my value in the approval others— parents, teachers, coaches—really anyone who would give me .5 seconds of their time. I tried to earn the love of everyone around me—including God. Unknowingly at the time, I wanted to prove that I could earn my spot with God.

Much to my surprise, even after “achieving” many of these goals, I still felt discontent and disappointed. I didn’t understand. I got into the college I’d wanted and this was supposed to be the time of my life; and, yet I found myself struggling with loneliness, lack of purpose, and more questions than I had answers. In the midst of the tension, the question that kept popping up for me was—"what’s actually true?” In a world that was telling me to find my own truth and follow it, I wanted to know if there was a sure truth—even if I didn’t agree with it—that was out there. I had friends I loved with wildly different worldviews, and I knew based on the contradictions that we couldn’t all be correct.

In the meantime, I researched different religions and was invited to an on-campus Bible study at Texas A&M where I got to hear the good news that Jesus lived a perfect life that I could not, died the death that I deserved, and rose again taking away the sting of death once and for all. Jesus accomplished what I could not. Simply by calling on Him, his sacrificial gift covers me. I don’t get to earn it with Him. It’s counter-cultural to everything I was used to. A free gift? That was wild to me. Even still, I said “yes” to following Him.

When I think back to my freshman year of college, I didn’t have all the answers in order to say that initial “yes” to Him, but I knew enough to take my next step towards him and after walking with him for 7 years now, I can confidently say He’s GOOD. Better than I ever expected. In the mundane and mountain top moments, He’s near. He’s steady ground to stand on when my circumstances feel shaky.