Devotional book reveals power of prayer

By Natalie Merrill

In December 2020, Dallas resident Natalie Huscheck opened a coffeehouse that would not only change her life but also help transform the lives of women who were seeking second chances.

Located on Garland Road just east of White Rock Lake is Well Grounded Coffee Community, an inviting local business that partners with Exodus Ministries and offers women who were formerly incarcerated the chance to change their futures and provide them with hope. The idea for creating such a welcoming place came to Huscheck when she was going through a rather difficult time in her life.

“It was an abusive relationship that ended in divorce, single parenthood, a repossessed car, electricity turned off — just a really, really dark season of anxiety, depression and hopelessness,” she said. “And in that moment, I sensed that God was saying, ‘I’m going to show you how to lift other women out of darkness.’ And through prayer and journaling, He would give me pieces of what it was going to look like.”

Now, more than three years later, Huscheck has been able to witness women overcome obstacles and completely change the paths they had previously taken.

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “I mean, there are incredible stories of drugs, crime, prison — and then God turning everything around.”

One of the women who has seen firsthand how the grace offered by individuals at Well Grounded Coffee Community can truly change a person’s perspective is Jessica Hider, who began working at the coffee shop in November 2022. For her, working under the leadership of Huscheck has fed her soul in a way that nothing else had before and allowed her to experience genuine support from others. 

“One of the biggest things here is going from victim to victor, and I can definitely say that is a highlight in my story,” she said. “When I first got here, I was going through some heavy things. Miss Natalie and my other coworkers were so supportive, and they would take time to listen to me. They would take time to pray for me, and it’s given me a family that I haven’t really had in a long time. It’s more like a sisterhood than just a job.”

And Hider has also learned that individuals with whom she surrounds herself are able to see her for the woman she is now — because her past doesn’t define her present or future. She has experienced joyous surprise to have people in her life who know the darkness she’s been through and are truly proud of where she is now.

“Coming from addiction and going into a program like Exodus and not really knowing what you’re doing and then coming to work at a place like this where nobody looks at you any differently than just a person is very humbling,” she said. “It really gets you back into the community and lets you have some dignity.”

Because of stories like Hider’s and the impacts they have on those who hear them, Huscheck and her employees at Well Grounded created “But God—A 30-Day Journey of HOPE: The Story of Well Grounded Coffee Community,” which shares the stories of the baristas in order to offer hope to anyone experiencing darkness because of life circumstances and/or mental health.

“It gives people a realistic and raw image of where we were and where we are now,” Hider said.

But there’s more to the devotional than one might imagine with each purchase. For every book sold, Huscheck and her staff give a book to someone either in prison or an addiction recovery program. For Huscheck, the excitement comes in seeing people connect, especially upon hearing the baristas’ stories.

“It’s empowering to them, and really maybe one of the most enjoyable things I’ve gotten to do since we started is to let them shine and tell their stories of hope,” she said. “It’s incredible for them to experience how supportive, not judgmental, the community is. They’ve made the choice to own their bad decisions and turn their lives around — not blame, not make excuses — and stand on their own two feet and say, ‘my future is full of hope.’”

While the devotional is for anyone, Hider is especially looking forward to seeing the impact it has on the individuals who receive it from Well Grounded as part of the buy-one, give-one initiative.

“We’re purposely giving one to somebody who is in darkness,” she said, “and we hope that person will hear the message ‘we were once where you are, and there are solutions out there.’”

Whether through sharing the mission of Well Grounded Coffee Community through the book or each day at work, Huscheck (pictured third from right) has realized how essential this experience has been in her life.

“For me, doing this has healed me, and it does every day,” she said. “To come here and journey with them is my therapy. I need it. I need this journey, and I need to journey with them.”

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