Tracy’s Bio
My childhood was a rough one. I did not grow up with God-fearing parents. My dad was an abusive husband, which made my mother very docile and sick most of the time. One tragic week mama passed away from a massive heart attack, and the following week my brother died after an awful argument with my dad (which I heard), when he was hit by an 18-wheeler in front of our house (which I saw). I blamed my father for my brother’s death. I was very traumatized at that point and emotionally disturbed.
At age 13, I ran away, and kept running, until I landed in my own abusive relationship. Three kids later and an addiction to crack cocaine, I decided to leave. The streets will suck you in, and sucked in I was. Jail became a revolving door for me, but slowly I was learning about someone named Jesus. Of course, as soon as I got out, He was forgotten, or was He?
Even with the many near misses in my life–being shot, multiple broken bones, and being beat bloody, all more than once–I knew deep inside myself that someone, or something, was saving me. On one occasion I had been up several days getting high. I was at my wits end. That was my first time ever at praying. I said, “God (if You really are there), please take me off these streets.” He did! I learned that day to be careful what you ask God for. Not five minutes later, the police stopped me. I went to court and was sentenced to ten years in LCIW (Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women).
To my surprise, I grew in biblical knowledge at the prison, as well as getting my GED, a Culinary Arts Certification, several state licenses through the Ag Forestry Department, and a diploma from college, and all from going to prison.
Once I did get out, I stayed connected with my Horticulture teacher, Mr. Foy Glenn Beall. He is also my preacher, teacher, friend, and someone I call “Pop” today. Most importantly, he baptized me! He cared about my soul. Now I live with him and his wife, Beth, who I call “Mom.” They are doing an Adult-adoption of me.
Living with them the past four years, I have grown emotionally and spiritually, not to mention they taught me to drive at age 50, after a lengthy battle with fear of driving because of my brother’s death.
I know now it was God’s unconditional love that brought me to where I am today. I am not going to say the journey was easy, but each chapter of my life, as I look back, taught me something that I can share, and hopefully someday save others from a life of pain, abandonment, drug addiction, abuse, low self-esteem, and co-dependency.
Often, I have wished I had been born into a spiritual family and taught the Word of God growing up. But I may not have received the Word the way I did. The lessons I have learned along the way have taught me to give heed to biblical principles. Even though I still consider myself a new Christian, I am growing and becoming more mature in Christ every day. A lot of people go through hours and hours of counseling to stay clean from drugs, but when people ask me how I have been clean so long, I tell them I learned from the most read and oldest book known to man—The Bible–with God being my Counselor. You see, I was delivered. At my baptism all my sins were forgiven and forgotten by God. So, the saying “once an addict, always an addict” — I do not agree! Once you are set free and delivered from your sins, nothing in your old life is remembered. You are fresh and new.
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Note: Seventeen years ago found me, for a time, working as a horticulture teacher in Louisiana’s maximum security women’s prison. At midpoint in the classroom and to my left was a young lady I would soon get to know, Tracy Jaco. Immediately I saw someone who was witty, intelligent, a good student, and always ready with a humorous comment. From the beginning she presented an excellent work ethic. She was one who could be assigned a task, and get it done with little or no supervision. Tracy finished her time, and shortly after being freed she was called to Gretna, LA, on a charge that was still open. The only phone number in her memory was mine. Upon her call, off to the jail house I went to get her released. We talked about the Bible on the trip back to Baton Rouge. Time passed with more Bible study until she decided she wanted to be baptized, which we did at the building in Baton Rouge where I served as a minister and preacher. Beth and I studied with her even more. Over time the relationship grew and now we say she is our heart-adopted daughter, living with us, and in the process of doing an Adult-adoption of Tracy .-Glenn Beall
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NOTE: Reprinted from The Magnolia Messenger, Volume 43, Number 3, Fall 2021, page 23