Harvest
B V O V
:
1 5
by Melanie Hemry
"God, if You're there, I want You in my
life. But You've got to make it real to me."
She had made that cry to God numerous
times. In truth, she didn't believe He was
going to answer.
Venessa had decided to commit
suicide.
At 29, she felt worn out and ready for it
all to end. She never would have thought
it would end this way. But then, she'd had
a rocky start.
The youngest of fi ve children, Venessa
had been raised in Fort Worth, Texas.
Her mom had raised her and her siblings
in the church—despite the fact there
sometimes had been a disconnect
between what they heard from the pulpit
and how they lived.
At 5 years old, Venessa's mother had
dressed her in a sailor suit and patent
leather shoes and, under the watchful
eyes of an airline stewardess, sent her to
New Mexico to visit family. That's when
Venessa heard a voice say to her: You're
going to fl y all over the world.
That was also around the time that her
parents divorced.
A daddy's girl, Venessa didn't think
she would survive her dad's leaving. His
absence had left a hole in her heart that
she could not shake. By the time she
started grade school, signs began to show.
Pilfering through her sibling's belongings
one day, Venessa found and helped
G
reat
Great
Faith
for a
The bass from the speakers seemed to strum in sync
with Venessa Battle's heart. Her system raced with Valium, codeine, barbiturates,
alcohol and hashish. Stepping out onto the balcony of her apartment where she
lived in Baltimore, Md., she looked up into the night sky.
