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Grace Magazine | By Women for Women | Fall 2017 22 STYLE & GRACE from high-impact to heroic at the 2017 FBCG Leadership Retreat when Mellissa Johnson, Director of the FBCG Health Ministry, answered the call to complete a Faith Fall with keynote speaker Delatorro McNeal II. It was the beginning of a BRAVE journey and she hasn't looked back since she surrendered her fears in faith. Grace: Magazine caught up with the courageous leader to hear how she went from empty to serving from an overflow with power and purpose. Grace: Take us back to how your BRAVE journey began. What was the catalyst that launched your journey? MELLISSA: If I honestly think back, I have always been a fearful child. I would always have a nervous stomach or cry if I thought I was in trouble or did something. The thought of the inevitable, My parent's anger was a motivating factor. But my family even called me "Nervous Nellie." All my life I can remember from being called by my parents to a supervisor's office to an "I need to talk to you," my stomach gets that queasy feeling. I tried all kinds of therapeutic techniques from breathing and walking around to positive thinking, even prayer. I always wondered what it would be like to just step out on faith … but what did that mean? Then as I deepened my faith in God, I developed this kinda crazy fatalistic attitude that "If I do it and something happens, either one or two things will occur: I survive to tell or I die and see Jesus." This, albeit a little crazy, helped me step forward, but it was a tad radical ... and inside was still that frightened little girl who knew there was still a call on her life. Grace: Can you share more about the difference in your outlook before and after the Faith Fall with McNeal? MELLISSA: BEFORE the Faith Fall, I was SO tired. Tired from busyness, tired from always saying, " yes," tired from trying to fix all problems set in front of me, tired of trying to look RIGHT on the outside yet needing HELP on the inside. Tired of forgetting about me. Wondering when God was going to clear my plate and give me a true break. I went to the leadership retreat not knowing what to expect as a new person in awe of my peers (I was) determined to look the part. But, I really would have loved to just retreat to a peaceful bed and sleep all weekend. AFTER the Faith Fall, it sounds crazy, but I feel like I got some rest laying right there. As I fell, God said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." In the Spirit, I felt angels just opening their wings and let me fall into the most comfortable resting place. And at THAT POINT, nothing else mattered; I knew God had me. I can honestly say I walked in a haze for the rest of that retreat day… kinda just me and God. Grace: What have you done differently since that day? What has changed? MELLISSA: Since the Fall, I have a renewed sense of BRAVERY that I can do all things through Christ. It is like my second salvation moment and I went around and I told and showed people how my life changed at that leadership retreat. A friend at the retreat sent me a video copy of how I released the rest to do His best. How I just let it go and By Chae Carriere Young '