Saturday Stories: Fiction That Feels Like Life
Something new is happening on Saturdays here at Unfiltered Faith.
Instead of a devotional, I want to take you on a journey — a story, really.
It’s fictional, but deeply personal. Raw. Relatable. Redemptive.
Every week, you’ll get a new chapter in the life of Gracie Rae Miller.
But before we jump in, let me introduce her to you…
Author’s Note: Tangled Roots & Barefoot Faith
Tangled Roots & Barefoot Faith: The Gracie Rae Chronicles
Let me introduce you to Gracie Rae Miller.
She’s not me.
But in a lot of ways… she is.
She’s fictional, yes — but her story is woven with real threads pulled from my own life: growing up as a missionary kid, never quite knowing where I belonged, and carrying a quiet ache to simply be loved.
Gracie has felt invisible.
She’s said yes when she should’ve run.
She’s wrapped herself in the comfort of red flags because they looked like love.
She’s sat in the parking lot wondering if God still shows up for women like her.
And while her world is fictional — the wrestle, the questions, the slow unfolding of healing — that part is very real.
At its core, this is a story about a girl who’s been walking with Jesus her whole life, but somewhere along the way, started believing lies about who she was and what she was worth. This is about the long road back — back to truth, back to grace, back to the kind of love that doesn’t require shrinking to be accepted.
I created this series as a way to tell the story so many of us carry:
The story of learning to trust again.
Of untangling our worth from the opinions of others.
Of walking forward barefoot, bruised, but still brave — with Jesus right beside us every step of the way.
So no, this isn’t a memoir. But it’s more than just a story.
It’s a heart offering — with creative twists, fictional characters, and just enough humor to make it through the hard parts.
And maybe… just maybe… you’ll find yourself somewhere in Gracie’s journey, too.
Welcome to Tangled Roots & Barefoot Faith: The Gracie Rae Chronicles.
I’m so glad you’re here.
— Tracee
A Glimpse Into Chapter One
To the Girl Who Wanted to Be Chosen
Her laugh could be heard all the way down the hall — that unmistakable Gracie Rae Miller laugh that made the dorm assistants smile and the shy girls peek out of their rooms wondering what was so funny.
She wasn’t trying to be loud. She just was.
Big laugh, big hair, big dreams.
And a heart that bruised easier than anyone ever knew.Gracie had just come back from a year in the States and brought with her two prized possessions: a bottle of Finesse shampoo and a cassette tape of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” that she played until it warped.
Her room smelled like Aqua Net and strawberry lip gloss.
She shared a hallway with other missionary kids who, like her, belonged everywhere and nowhere all at once.And even though she laughed big, made up songs on the piano, and wore her extroverted charm like an oversized jean jacket —
there was still that quiet ache.
The one that whispered, “If you were smaller, maybe he would have chosen you.”But Gracie didn’t know yet...
that love was never supposed to make you shrink.
Full Chapter One drops next Saturday.
Come curious. Come comfy. Come barefoot if you want.
Gracie Rae’s waiting.