Letting Go of Bitterness & Unforgiveness
A conversation between Alleigh Jezek, guests; and Devaughn Williamson, host.
Alleigh shares how she had to navigate a lot of really tough moments in her life, especially dealing with the pain of a broken relationship with her dad. She talks about how growing up, she was in and out of church, but it was more of a "Christmas and Easter" kind of thing, never really feeling like she had that true connection with God. Even though her family had some moral standards, it wasn’t the same as having a real relationship with Him. That left her feeling like she was always searching for her worth—whether it was in sports, achievements, or even trying to fill the gap left by her dad’s absence.
As she got older, Alleigh realized how much that brokenness had turned into bitterness and a grudge she held onto for years. She admits that she used to hold her dad’s actions over his head, always feeling justified in her anger because she wanted him to see how much he’d hurt her. But here’s where her faith stepped in. Once she gave her life to Christ, God started convicting her heart, showing her that the real healing she needed wasn’t about getting an apology from her dad—it was about forgiveness.
She tells this powerful story of going on a long run (like 12 miles!), using that time to wrestle through all the feelings she had for her dad—her hurt, her resentment, her need to be right. She kept going back and forth in her mind, justifying her anger but also realizing how much she’d contributed to the tension. And at the end of that run, she decided it was time to have the hard conversation. She texted her dad, and even though she didn’t get the apology she maybe hoped for, she got something better—peace.
What’s amazing is how she highlights that forgiveness isn’t about them—it’s about you letting go of the burden and not letting it enslave you anymore. She says now, when she sees her dad, she doesn’t think about the past or hold onto those old wounds. Instead, she sees him the way God does—with love and grace. And their relationship? It’s not perfect, but it’s healing. They even have dinner together every Monday night, which is such a beautiful testament to what God can do when we let Him in.
What’s amazing is how she highlights that forgiveness isn’t about them—it’s about you letting go of the burden and not letting it enslave you anymore. She says now, when she sees her dad, she doesn’t think about the past or hold onto those old wounds. Instead, she sees him the way God does—with love and grace. And their relationship? It’s not perfect, but it’s healing. They even have dinner together every Monday night, which is such a beautiful testament to what God can do when we let Him in.
Alleigh then goes on to share this story about a time when she realized that drinking wasn’t just about her—it was about the people around her, too. She was at a party at her parents’ house, nothing wild, but her neighbor, who was an alcoholic, stopped by and ended up drinking again. Seeing how that affected her family, she felt this intense conviction—like, whoa, this isn’t just about me having fun, it’s about how my actions can lead others to stumble.
That was a turning point for her. She realized that God calls us not to get drunk or be a stumbling block, not to kill our fun, but because it impacts the people we care about. She decided to quit drinking altogether, even though she was still under 21, and just laid that part of her life down completely.
Going back to college after that was hard. Her friends were still partying, and she had to explain why she suddenly wasn’t joining in. She said it wasn’t even the peer pressure of drinking that was tough—she was stubborn and had fully committed to leaving it behind. What was really hard was her friends thinking she was judging them, even when she wasn’t. They just couldn’t understand how she’d made such a 180, and she had to walk that line of loving them without compromising her own convictions.
She leaned into her faith, spending more time with God and hanging out with people who were also following Jesus. She even deleted Snapchat and stopped going to the same parties. It was a huge lifestyle change, but she felt so much freer and happier.
And then, she talked about how faith became truly hers—not just her family’s faith. It wasn’t just about drinking or not drinking, but about surrendering her future to God. She felt called to ministry, even though she was studying to be a physical therapist. She wrestled with God for months, praying for Him to make it crystal clear. And He did! Her boss basically told her she’d be perfect for ministry, confirming everything she’d been feeling.
Alleigh’s story is all about how surrendering to God—no matter how scary it feels—ends up freeing you, not trapping you. She realized it’s not about following rules for the sake of it, but about trusting that God loves you enough to guide you into something so much better. And in the end, that’s what made her faith real.
If Alleigh’s story inspired you, consider sharing it with someone who needs encouragement. And I encourage you to partner with Faith Ignite to help bring more stories of hope to the world. Together, we can spread messages of God's faithfulness to those who need it most.
Devaughn Williamson President, Faith Ignite Inc
