My Transformation Through Belief Systems: From Religion to My Truth
Thank you for being here with me today as I share a very personal story about my transformation through belief systems.
This is my lived experience of navigating my relationship with God, Creator, and ultimately discovering who I am in the image of Divine Love. I use the words God and Creator interchangeably, because to me, God is not the “man in the sky” I was taught about as a child. My truth is simply that: my truth. I share it in hopes that something here may inspire you to honor your truth and remember the love that already lives within you.
Reflecting on Belief Systems
Throughout my life, I’ve taken time to pause and reflect: What beliefs am I carrying? Are they truly supporting me in the present moment?
For many years, I didn’t realize I was living with unconscious beliefs rooted in fear, shame, and rejection. They weren’t mine—they were passed down through generations. These beliefs made me feel unworthy of God’s love and left me questioning who I really was.
Growing Up in a Religious Household
I was raised in Northern California on the land of the Pomo Nation, with deep gratitude for my grandparents who migrated from Mexico to give their family a better life. They were my guardians and showed me unconditional love in the best way they knew how.
At the same time, my earliest memories are of being raised in a Jehovah’s Witness household. We attended church every Sunday, Bible studies, and yearly conferences. Looking back, I remember feeling silenced, confused, and even angry.
I was told not to ask questions, only to accept “the truth” as it was taught. Because I was born out of wedlock, I was made to feel I had to “earn” my place in God’s heart. That planted a deep seed of rejection—not just from family, but from God.
Searching Through Different Structures
As I left home at a young age, I found myself moving between different religious systems—Catholicism through a relationship, later living within Indigenous family traditions that rejected organized religion altogether.
Each structure taught me something different. But over and over, I witnessed the same pattern: hypocrisy, hierarchy, and silencing of the soul’s authentic questions. At times, I felt abandoned by God.
And yet, the thread that carried me through was always this deep longing: to know God’s love for myself.
A Turning Point
One day, in the middle of tears, I cried out:
“If I am your child and you love me, God, I need to know.”
That very evening, I turned on the TV and heard a pastor say, “God heard your cries. You are loved. You are a child of God.”
I don’t believe in coincidences. That moment opened the door for me to explore God in a new way—outside of church walls.
Later, hearing Joyce Meyer share her story was another pivotal moment. Her testimony gave me hope. If she could walk through her pain and still know God’s love, then so could I.
Learning to Forgive and Discern
Through time, prayer, and reflection, I began healing the anger I carried toward religious structures. Forgiveness came when I realized:
My family and elders taught me through the only lens they knew.
Many of these systems operated from ego and control, not divine love.
I had the power to release what wasn’t mine and discern what truth resonated within me.
Discernment became my compass. I no longer had to take someone else’s word as the truth—I could listen for the threads of love and wisdom that lit up my soul.
Embracing My Relationship With Creator
Today, my devotion is personal. I connect with God in my own way, through prayer, reflection, nature, and calling on my guides, angels,ancestors and divine teachers. I read the Bible, I learn from different traditions, and I allow my beliefs to evolve.
Most importantly, I know now that:
I am loved.
I am the light of God.
My gifts are part of God’s creation.
My truth can exist alongside others’ truths.
Honoring All Paths Back to Love
What I’ve come to understand is this:
There is no single right way to connect with Creator.
Religion, spirituality, and teachings can either liberate us or limit us.
When something is rooted in love, it expands us. When rooted in ego or fear, it contracts us.
For me, healing meant releasing the anger, forgiving the past, and returning again and again to the remembrance that God is love.
Love is limitless. Love is creation. Love is what unites us.
Closing Reflection
Sharing this hasn’t been easy—it’s a tender and often controversial topic. But it’s my truth. And in sharing it, my prayer is that it sparks something within you.
When we learn to honor our own truth, we also learn to honor others. That is where unity begins.
So take what resonates, and leave what doesn’t.
I see you. I hear you. I honor you.
With love,
Gracie
Graceful Healing 🌿
