Normally Christian burnout happens to people who have been in ministry for decades. At 17 years old, that's where Winnipeg-born content creator Jenessa Wait found herself.
Growing up in the church as a pastor's kid, she was used to being around Christian culture but focused more on performance-based Christianity.
"I had such a zeal and a passion to show God I was devoted to Him," Wait shared.
"Really what I was searching for was to know that I was His daughter and the reality is that I was already His daughter. That pursuit led me into a lot of performance-based Christianity and doing the right things but not feeling the satisfaction from inside."
That ultimately pushed Wait away from Christianity for a little while.
"I had turned away from the Lord, not super long but enough for me to get a taste of the world and nothing satisfied still. When I was at my bottom, the lowest of lows, God came in with His love and He rescued me in the time I thought was least deserving of love is when He showed me love."
After that, she committed her life back to the Lord, while in her youth pastor's office.
"I was confessing all the things and crying and the Lord met me there in a powerful way. He gave me a vision that really gave me a paradigm shift of the way I live my life for God now."
Now based out of Austin, Tex., she is using her passion and creativity as a professional hand-lettering artist, content creator, and business owner, but most notably, an encourager.
"If you were to squeeze me out like a sponge, you're going to get encouragement no matter what."
In 2015 after getting married, and waiting for her green card so that she could work, the Winnipeg native got into hand-lettering.
"God kind of tricked me into hand-lettering, I discovered this art and passion through words."
Now with almost 380,000 followers on Instagram, Wait's passion has flourished, and gets to encourage her online followers each day.
"I was faithful and curious, and God was inviting me to give my yes. Over time, it turned into a business, which I would've never thought I would ever do because I would say repeatedly growing up, 'I'm the last person on earth who should start a business.' I was as quick to spend money as I got it. God has just proved Himself faithful."
Matthew 19:26 has been a life-giving verse throughout her life. "I've lived it and I live it over and over again. In that process, God led me to start sharing online through Instagram. Now I get to pair the gift of encouragement with creativity."
Now, she's getting ready to come back home to Winnipeg in May to share that encouragement with hundreds of young adults at the Collide Conference on May 3 and 4 at Calvary Temple on Hargrave Street.
"I am so excited to come back and sew into a city and the people there that I got sewed into as a young adult. I had so many incredible mentors in my life and so the fact that I get to come back and pour back into a place where I received such beautiful nourishment spiritually is such an honour."