Why This Story Matters
In this Movement Portrait, Savanna Lee shares her spiritual journey—from anxiety-driven control and a transactional view of God to a growing life of trust, discovery, and obedience.
This video captures Savanna’s story in her own words—the emotional arc of her journey from anxiety and control toward trust, patience, and balance.
The written Q&A below preserves the conversation behind that story: the questions, pauses, and moments of discovery that helped Scripture move from something she checked off to something she lives from.
Justin: Before your baptism and the Discovering Jesus course, how would you describe your spiritual life?
Savanna:
Anxiety. Yeah—anxiety would be the one word.
I was the type of person where something bad would happen and I’d be like, “Hey God, me again.” I only talked to God when I needed something. There’s that Jelly Roll song—“I only talk to God when I need a favor”—that was me.
I was ridden with anxiety, trying to have so much control over my whole life, and I’d get really, really mad when things didn’t go my way. Before I realized that’s not at all how it’s supposed to go, anxiety pretty much defined my life.
Justin: When you think back, who was God to you during that season?
Savanna:
I didn’t see Him as someone who wanted to know me.
I kind of viewed God like Santa Claus—He’s got a list, He’s checking boxes, making sure people are doing the right things and not doing the wrong things. Not like a Father who wanted a relationship, but someone making sure everyone followed the rules.
Justin: And what about Jesus? Was your view of Jesus different from your view of God?
Savanna:
I knew Jesus was God’s son, but I didn’t really understand what that meant.
That changed during the Discovering Jesus course when Sean talked about the death and the resurrection—the sacrifice and rising on the third day. Before that, I thought of it as just something that happened. Like a historical event. Not the template for how I’m supposed to live my life.
Justin: What did you think about church or church people at that point?
Savanna:
I didn’t really think much about it, honestly.
There were certain people in my life who felt kind of judgy, and I thought, “If that’s what church is like, I’m good.” I didn’t feel like I belonged. I had my own life under control, and I didn’t think there was room for me in a place like that.
Justin: Let’s talk about “getting your own fingerprints on the Bible.” When did that start to get traction for you?
Savanna:
For a long time, I was just doing things, but I wasn’t thinking about it deeply. It was a checklist.
That really started to change during the Discovering Jesus course. We were reading through John, and I started reading five days a week, highlighting what stuck out to me. Now things happen in real life, and a verse will come to mind—even if I don’t know exactly where it is.
There was one from Mark 8—the one about not worrying. I even put it on a piece of pottery I painted. Before, Scripture was just something to check off. Now it’s helping me understand who I am and why I’m here.
Justin: When did you realize this was actually changing your life—like your anxiety or need for control?
Savanna:
It was realizing, “Oh—it’s not up to me. None of it is up to me.”
Anxiety and OCD are still there. They run in my family, and they’re not going away. But they don’t have to be that loud anymore.
When I was sick recently with the flu, I just thought, “If I’m supposed to be in the hospital, God will put me there. If not, then I’m protected regardless.” When big decisions come up now, I’ll pray about it and wait instead of trying to control everything—because the more I try, the worse it feels.
Justin: Was there a specific Scripture that gave you something solid to stand on?
Savanna:
Yeah—Mark. That verse about worry. It was like God kept telling me the same thing over and over again: “It’s not up to you.”
I’ve also noticed that when God speaks, it sounds like my voice—but it’s not something I would say. When the answer comes, it’s clear. It’s not “maybe.” It’s “this is the way.”
I was thinking about moving, toured apartments, and then realized the cost was way too high. Then my current apartment sent me a notice with a totally manageable option. And I was like, “Prayer answered. I don’t need to go anywhere.”
Justin: How has reading the Bible for obedience—rather than just knowledge—changed things for you?
Savanna:
I ask a lot more questions now. I write them down and talk them through with my boyfriend, our group, my mom—whoever.
When I read about the resurrection, I try to put myself in the shoes of the women who found the empty tomb. Not just reading it like a history book, but imagining witnessing it. My brain can barely comprehend it—it’s wild and incredible.
I read NLT, my boyfriend reads King James, and we compare translations. That helps us understand Scripture—and each other—better.
Justin: What are you most looking forward to in this season of your spiritual journey?
Savanna:
Patience. And honestly, I’m not excited about it.
I can feel a lot of change coming—relationships, life direction, big transitions. But right now, God’s telling me to sit still. He’s saying, “There’s an A through Z that has to happen before you get there. You don’t know what those are—but I do.”
So I’m learning consistency—work, health, church, friendships, being present. I finally have balance, and I’m learning how to live in it.
Justin: Last question—how do you feel you’re being blessed the most right now?
Savanna:
Balance.
After I got baptized, I went into a job that was demanding in every way. And I think that was a test—what are you going to prioritize: money and status, or Jesus?
That job isn’t infinite. God is.
Now I have a balanced life and a strong support system, and that’s something I’ve been striving for for a long time.
Closing Reflection
Savanna’s story reminds us that transformation doesn’t begin with having everything figured out—but with learning to trust that what God says about life matters most.
If you’re looking for a next step connected to this story, check out the “3-Column Bible Study” tool. This is the tool that Savanna used to get her own fingerprints on the Bible, and to get God’s word into her heart for an inside-out transformation.