Finding Hope in the Journey: Shelby Terrill Story

Welcome back to our blog! Today, we have a truly inspiring story that resonates with many of us. Shelby Terrill, who is celebrating her third wedding anniversary, shares her remarkable journey of faith, resilience, and the importance of community in battling mental health challenges.

A Journey of Faith and Purpose

Turning 30 has marked a significant transition for Shelby, one filled with both celebration and reflection. Married to her “most amazing God-fearing husband,” Shelby has built a life that intertwines her passion for rodeo and her entrepreneurial spirit with her husband through their flooring company, Crossfire Flooring.But it's her personal journey that captures the heart. Shelby opened up about her early experiences with loss, sharing that her biological father died by suicide when she was just six years old. This event shaped her understanding of love, loss, and identity. She established a nonprofit called Yellow Felt Soul to raise awareness about depression and suicide within the rodeo community. However, pouring her heart into others left her feeling like a "broken cup” without support.

From Darkness to Light

Shelby’s candidness about her mental health challenges is both brave and vital. She recounted her struggles with depression, anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide. Despite the darkness that often enveloped her, she found hope through her faith and community. “Whenever you are that low... sometimes it's just like, okay, I get it,” she shared, emphasizing that the journey to healing often feels like a long and arduous path. She described how embracing a deep, personal relationship with Jesus transformed her belief system. Through baptism and guidance during mission trips, she learned that God is not just a figure of history but intimately involved in our lives, yearning for a relationship with us. Her realization that “no matter what, God is good” drastically shifted her perspective.

Breaking the Chains of Idols

Reflecting on her experiences, Shelby poignantly discussed the concept of idols. “If you love that thing or person more than God, then that’s your idol,” she stated. For Shelby, rodeo became an idol—a metric of her worth and success. She had to learn to step back and reassess her priorities, realizing that her identity should not be rooted in performance or accolades but rather in her relationship with God. This conversation about idols ties directly into her commitment to spiritual growth. As she pointed out, “We must strive for the fruits of the Spirit: love, peace, patience, kindness.” For Shelby, this became a crucial framework in changing her daily habits and mental patterns.

From Victim to Victory

The most poignant part of Shelby's journey is her transformation from feeling like a victim of her circumstances to embracing victory through faith. Her struggles with Lyme disease brought new challenges, including physical limitations and deep emotional pain. But instead of allowing these trials to dictate her life, she chose action and sought help, first through the "Regeneration" program at her church and later through spiritual counseling.The moment she recognized the need for community support and vulnerability became pivotal. Opening up to friends and church members about her struggles not only fostered meaningful connections but also provided her with the encouragement she needed to pursue healing.

Embracing Life’s Seasons

Shelby emphasized the significance of understanding personal seasons—recognizing that goals change and evolve over time. As we conclude, she beautifully articulates the transition from ambitions in rodeo, which may have held her back, to embracing health and fostering relationships as her current priorities.“It's not a 'no'; it's a 'not yet,'” she reminds us. This perspective reshapes disappointment into hope, allowing us to remain steadfast in our journey, trusting that God has a plan for us.

A Message of Hope

In her prayer at the close of our interview, Shelby implored for strength for those battling their own dark times. “The burdens are heavy,” she acknowledges. But through vulnerability and community, there is a path to healing.Whether you’re struggling with mental health, healing from past trauma, or simply navigating life’s challenges, I encourage you to lean into the support of your community and the power of prayer. There is hope and purpose in every dawn, even after the darkest night.Thank you, Shelby, for sharing your beautiful testimony and encouraging all of us to find strength in our stories.

This blog post serves as a reminder that regardless of our journey's hardships, we can always lean into faith and community for support. Until next time, stay encouraged and uplift one another!