By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

Everyone has a story but they are all different and unique in their own way. Many have suffered through homelessness, wavering faith, mental issues and numerous other ailments, but what sets most of these people apart from the crowd are how they function through their storm.

Tracey Scott is one of those people who stands out from the crowd because of how she reacted to her ‘storm.’

Born and raised in Vicksburg, Scott is always one who tries to remain positive no matter what, but she admits that her faith was not where she believed it should have been. This was the case until she went through a life-changing experience that required her to keep her mind stayed on God.

“I’ve done volunteer work at Mountain of Faith Ministries and I am also a former resident of Mountain of Ministries transition house,” Scott said. “That was a humbling experience for me because I’d gotten into a situation in 2013 where I ended up losing my apartment, my three bedroom apartment, and me and my children had to go stay at the transition house.

“But it was an extremely humbling experience for me and it brought me closer to God because I felt myself asking ‘God what have I done? Why me?’ and He’s like ‘Why not you?’ That’s when I had to realize in the process of being there I wasn’t there for me. I was there for the other people that came in.”

Being in the home altered Scott’s way of thinking in many ways. One of the best outcomes of her stay was her strengthened faith in God.

“Staying in the transition home gave me a sense of belonging,” she said. “Because when I had that three bedroom apart with my two children I was still going to church or whatever but when I ended up having to move into the house and me and my kids had to share a room it was a humbling experience and it made me realize that you have to be appreciative for the little things.

“Then the only way that I got through that process at the transition house was by being humble to God and letting Him lead me. I could have chosen other routes, but I had to be willing to let Him lead and just go through the process.”

Humbling experience

During her stay, Scott easily became discouraged although she held it together in front of everyone else. Her children were her main concern and she often thought about their feelings while in Mountain of Faith’s transition home.

“Then I was concerned about my kids because at that time they were in junior high, and I always thought about how my kids felt about it and they were like ‘As long as we were together it’s okay.’

“But it was just a humbling experience being there for all of us. Then they saw other people from all different walks of life come in and I told them that we were really blessed and there’s always someone worse off than you. You just have to be thankful and grateful for what you do have.”

While staying in the transition home, Scott continued her career as a childcare worker at a local daycare.

“I currently work at Precious Moments Learning Center and Daycare and I started working there because I have a love for children,” she said. “Ever since I was a little girl, even in church, I would keep other people’s kids and hold them and I just think that if you can instill in them early what love is and how to love then they’ll be better children.”

In addition to being a devout Christian and Samaritan in the community through her work, Scott has also done her best to give back to those who helped her in her time of need.

“I am a former member of Believers in Faith and I do volunteer work with Mountain of Faith Ministries,” she said. “ I do work maybe in the thrift store or the front desk. Just little stuff like that.”

In spite of all the trials she endured, Scott remains focused on God and credits Him with all of the motivation she received when going through what she did.

“The scripture that I relied on heavily during that time was my favorite Proverbs 3: 5-6, ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths,’” she said. “And once you realize that there is nothing you can do on your own, you have to just completely and totally surrender to God and just let Him lead the way.”