Story & Lesson Highlights with Lakeshia Seals of DeKalb County, Georgia

We recently had the chance to connect with Lakeshia Seals and have shared our conversation below.

Lakeshia, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me is a balance of nurturing, teaching, serving, and connecting. As a mother, my day often begins with caring for my family—making sure everyone is ready and encouraged to face the day. As an educator, I pour into my students, striving to inspire, guide, and meet their needs both academically and emotionally.

Throughout the day, I carry my roles as a daughter and sister, staying connected to my family and offering support when needed. As a minister of the gospel, I make time for prayer, study, and sharing God’s word—whether through teaching, encouraging others, or simply living by example. And as a friend, I cherish moments to listen, laugh, and be present for those I care about.

Every day isn’t perfect, but I see each role as part of my calling to love, serve, and grow. My days are full, but they are also filled with purpose and grace.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lakeshia Seals, and I am the founder of Divine Help Ministries. I created this ministry out of a deep passion to be a present help in times of trouble for individuals and families in need. At Divine Help Ministries, we focus on empowering low-income families through support, guidance, and practical resources that help them thrive in every area of life.

What makes our ministry unique is our holistic approach—we use the Wheel of Life as a tool to support spiritual, personal, and professional growth. Our programs include Spiritual Life Coaching, EmpowerME Conferences, Lunch N Learns, Workshops, Support Groups for Lupus Survivors, a Mobile Food Pantry, and our annual Holiday Bike Giveaway.

My heart for this work comes from my own journey of faith, service, and perseverance. I’ve seen how a helping hand and a word of encouragement can transform lives. Through Divine Help Ministries, I am committed to adding value, inspiring hope, and helping others reach their highest potential.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I wasn’t enough—that I had to earn love and prove my worth. Growing up in a single-parent home, watching my father battle addiction and my mother work endlessly just to keep us afloat, I often felt overlooked and forgotten. I thought if I tried hard enough, behaved well enough, or accomplished enough, maybe I would finally be seen and loved the way I longed to be. That belief stayed with me for years, shaping my choices and my relationships.

But as I grew in my walk with Christ, He began to show me who I truly am—His daughter, chosen and loved not because of what I do, but because of who He is. I learned that my worth isn’t tied to my performance, my past, or anyone’s approval. I am enough because God says I am. Today, I no longer live trying to prove my value; I live resting in His love, confident that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that His grace has always been more than enough for me.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
My Testimony: A Journey to the Call

As a child, I learned to survive. Growing up in a single-parent household my mom often worked two jobs. I faced instability, rejection, and father abandonment issues due to my father’s addiction to drugs which left a void.

As I grew older, I carried those unhealed wounds into adulthood. I sought love and acceptance in all the wrong places, which led to early motherhood and broken relationships. Later in life, marrying someone who battled addiction reopened those old wounds of instability and disappointment. And when I faced health challenges like lupus, I battled not just physical pain, but feelings of inadequacy.

God never wasted a wound. Healing began when I encountered Christ—not just as Savior, but as Healer. It was when I began to understand that my worth wasn’t defined by my past, my pain, or my circumstances. It was defined by His love for me.

Healing has come in layers—through prayer, through the Word, through serving others, and through community. God used ministry to mend my heart; every time I poured into children, women, or students, He poured back into me. He also taught me forgiveness—toward my father, my past relationships, and even myself.

Today, I can say those wounds have become my wisdom. The same pain that once broke me has become the platform God uses to reach others. My story is proof that God can heal what life tried to destroy. He took my broken pieces and created something beautiful—a testimony of His grace, His power, and His faithfulness.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say that what truly matters to me is living each day as a vessel of God’s will in all that I do. My heart is centered on love — loving God, my family, and my friends deeply and unconditionally. I strive each day to better myself personally, spiritually, and professionally so I can walk in purpose and reach the place God is leading me to.

I value building healthy, uplifting relationships that bring light and encouragement to others. I want the people around me to feel inspired to live positively, love freely, and walk boldly in their own calling.

As Booker T. Washington said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” Those words remind me that my journey, with all its challenges and growth, is what truly defines my success.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’m gone, I hope people say that Lakeshia Seals was a devoted mother who loved her family and everyone she met with a pure, unconditional heart. She gave of herself freely—through kindness, faith, and compassion—and always made others feel seen, valued, and loved. Her life was a reflection of grace and strength, and her love continues to live on in the hearts she touched.”