Jennie Emily Ingall
Christian
Writer
Artist
Dog lover
Excellent cook!
Thank you for visiting; I'm glad you're here!
My name is Jennie. I was born and raised in Connecticut, and lived there for the first 32 years of my life. After spending a summer in Helena, Montana, I moved to central Maine, and have been rebuilding my life here for the last three years.
I was diagnosed with depression when I was seventeen years-old. When I was nineteen, I wound up homeless and had to go to a shelter. Within the first hour at the shelter, some people visited from a local organization. There was a man who sat me down and asked me about my situation. He told me that his organization could help. He told me where to go the next morning, and so I walked the six blocks from the shelter to an old house that was converted into offices. I met a woman there: I don't remember her name, but I will be forever thankful to her, to the entire organization. This woman became my caseworker, and started me on a path to getting on my feet. Within two days, I had housing, healthcare, and other resources to help me. Since that time, I've been on a very long journey to learn how to live a full, rich life, despite my challenges. And I have dreamed of helping others because I was helped that day in the shelter.
Sometimes, my challenges get me down, and I wallow in despair. But there are other times, seemingly rare times, when my struggles inspire in me a determination to push forward. Notice that I do not refer to anything as an illness; sometimes I do see that I am ill, when I'm feeling really low. But the reality is that God allows challenges in all our lives, and this is mine. I can choose to let it keep me down, or I can choose to use it for good.
Sometimes, I go through very hard periods, where I feel like I'm drowning in my struggles. These times seem to shake up my life, and usually, when I come out of them, I go through a very good period. During the hard periods, I have what I call "storms." A "storm" for me is a short bout of really deep despair. They are frequent and they are exhausting. I've learned to reach out to others during the "storms" and, while no one can heal me, I feel that I'm not alone. It is in those times that I find what God is trying to teach me.
Recently, I started writing down my experiences as I navigate these challenges, struggles, and "storms." And I've chosen to share them in hopes that others who struggle with their own challenges may find comfort, friendship, and a way through their own "storms."