A Sign of New Life

Nakeisha Peay grew up in the Seattle area and had almost no exposure to the Lord. Despite occasional behavioral issues, she showed great scholastic promise.

“I was a good kid,” recalls Peay, 40. “I listened to my parents. I got good grades. But my teachers would wonder, How is she getting all A’s when she was just in a fight?”

Part of her troubles stemmed from her life at home, where illicit drugs, including methamphetamines, always seemed to be readily available. Drugs continued to plague her even after she gave birth to her son, Kelvin, at the age of 22.

“I didn’t realize I was out of control until after I had my son and started using again,” Peay says. “I was on and off drugs for a long time.” Typically, she would use drugs for three months, stay sober for three months, then go back to using.

In the midst of her struggle, Peay had a couple of God-ordained moments. That included hitching a ride during a snowstorm from a driver who planted a seed, telling her about New Life Church. New Life Church, pastored by Wes D. Davis, meets in six locations around the Seattle area.

Six months later, a follow-up God moment happened in 2016. Her drug dealer gave her a ride home Sunday morning after she went on a bender and drove past a sign in Port Orchard, Washington, that read New Life. Peay felt a nudge to go inside, so she asked the dealer to let her off. She walked into a worship service. Afterward, she went home.

“I found this old, crusty Bible that I had stolen from jail,” Peay recalls. “I read the Scriptures, and they lined up with hope, grace, and mercy. So I started reading into what that meant, and I found out I could have that if I love the Lord.”

From that moment forward, she has been a changed woman, no longer involved in drugs. New Life became her new family.

“From the women in my Bible study group to the pastors to random people just giving me an opportunity and seeing who I was created to be,” Peay says.

Davis, citing Ephesians 4:16, is grateful that Peay is a part of the church.

“Jesus fits the whole body together perfectly,” Davis says. “He knew the people that Nakeisha needed and also where her fit was going to be.”

The Lord helped Peay reconcile with her mother, Connie King. The two now share Bible passages with each other and talk on a regular basis. Peay has reached out to people in her previous life and many have come to Christ and are now discipling others as well. This includes her friend Stefanie Grace, who Nakeisha was able to baptize last year.

“Nakeisha has a lot of people that love and care about her,” Davis says. “When we define discipleship, we come to Christ and yes, there are things you have to leave, but it doesn’t mean you stop reaching out, loving, and caring about people. I’ve watched Nakeisha and she’s making disciples.”

Peay now has a different outlook on life

“I thought I was worthless, but I’m so valuable in God’s eyes,” Peay says. “And now I get to see my friends do the same thing.”

Photo: Nakeisha Peay baptizes her friend Stefanie Grace.