Faith in His Beautiful Promises

Guided by faith and a deep desire to help others, Bennett Key built Rastore Day Spa into a sanctuary of peace and beauty, fulfilling a lifelong dream rooted in her belief in God’s promises.

Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill

"It's raining."

Bennett Key heard the Lord's gentle yet firm words as she stood on her front porch, the rain pouring around her in the early morning darkness—a whispered assurance in the stillness. Exhausted but fulfilled, she closed her eyes, letting the weight of the moment sink in. The rain was the first in weeks, coinciding with the soft opening of the newly relocated Rastore Day Spa—a moment she couldn't help but feel was divinely timed.

That morning on the porch was years in the making, a culmination of quiet promises she'd made to herself in her youth. Growing up with limited means, Bennett desired to one day own her own business and make it for herself in the world. At the time, she didn't know what shape her dream would take—perhaps as an architect or a dance studio owner. Yet, as a self-proclaimed "girly girl" who learned to do her own hair and nails out of necessity, she sensed her love for beauty and self-care might become part of her journey.

"That was really solidified in the early 2000s when a friend of mine in Georgia was in school to become an esthetician. She asked me to come to her school and let her practice on me. And during that facial is when it all came together, and I realized what I wanted to do with my life," Bennett recalls. "She was doing the facial massage, and I remember it just felt so amazing. My eyes were closed, and it felt like she was using a tool that was mechanical but soft. I asked her what she was using, and she just said, ‘My hands...'

"I opened my eyes and saw that she was, in fact, doing the massage with just her hands, and it opened up a whole new world for me. I realized that I want to help people, especially people who are in need of self-care or going through a hard time, because I've been through hard times, and I want to be who I needed in those times, and I could quite literally do that with my own hands."

From that moment, Bennett knew her purpose was to create a space where people could find comfort and care.

Back in Jasper, Bennett's path wasn't easy. Now a licensed esthetician and ready to work, she found the spa industry was still taking root in her hometown.

Undeterred, she started as a counter manager at Estée Lauder inside Belk at the Jasper Mall, where she gained invaluable experience connecting with customers. One day, a woman named Alicia approached her at the counter with an offer to join a new spa opening in Jasper.

"My heart sank," she remembers. "I wanted to open a spa myself, and it felt like someone had beat me to it."

But after prayerful consideration, she decided to join Alicia at Rastore Spa, understanding this was a step toward her bigger vision.

The early days were challenging; few people knew what esthetic services were, and social media as a marketing tool was in its infancy. With limited resources, Bennett turned to construction paper and homemade flyers, setting up tables at local events to introduce her services to the community. 

Over time, a loyal clientele grew, and when Alicia decided to sell the spa, Bennett saw an opportunity to take the reins. In 2012, she took over the spa and began turning her aspirations into a reality.

"When I took over, I saw an opportunity to build on what was already there and turn it into something truly special," Bennett explains. "I wanted it to be a sanctuary where people could rediscover their worth and find peace," she says.

Over the years, as she continued to pour herself into the spa, Bennett felt a push toward growth. But as she considered the next step, she waited for a sign from God. Then, one day, as she prepared a gift card kiosk at the mall, she heard what she believed was a clear directive from God: “If you build it, they will come.”

"I heard Him tell me that day, and I heard Him tell me several more times later on, and I heard the message repeated by so many people in my life. This was the sign that it was time to grow. I just had to build it," she recounts.

Following several more moments of confirmation—including the spontaneous availability of her chosen location and other helpful resources becoming available—Bennett moved forward with the expansion.

In everything, she felt that God was guiding her, and she leaned into her faith, along with the love and support of her husband, Brian, and children, Carter, Lydia, and Jeff, who reminded her what it meant to trust and move forward even in uncertainty.

Rastore Day Spa reopened in a serene new location in downtown Jasper in mid-September 2024. This spacious setting now accommodates the full range of Rastore's services, including facials, massages, and spray tans, along with wellness providers offering IV therapy, weight loss injections, 4D ultrasounds, and dermatology services. An upscale boutique complements the spa with a curated selection of beauty essentials, spa products, and stylish accessories.

"The new spa is something I don't think has ever been done around here," Bennett says. "It's a hub for several entrepreneurs and business professionals—dermatologists, nurse practitioners, and others—who all share the same heart and work ethic. We're working toward the same goals, and that really sets us apart." 

This shared vision, Bennett explains, extends beyond the services they offer to the environment they've carefully cultivated. "We have tried very hard to keep and maintain a space that creates an atmosphere of peace and healing—in the way that we perform our services, in the way that we speak to our clients, and in the way that simply they feel when they sit in a room here. We want them to feel peace when they walk in. I have people tell me regularly that they can feel that when they walk in, and that's so important."

Through all the challenges and triumphs of opening the new location, Bennett often thought of Noah, who built his ark with nothing but faith in God's promises.

"Noah had no idea what rain even was, but his faith in God was so strong, he did it anyway," she reflects. "I didn't know if I could be successful with this growth, but God continually blessed my faith and obedience, and it unfolded beautifully."

Standing on her porch that morning, the rain falling gently after weeks of drought, Bennett felt the truth of those promises. "It's raining," she heard the Lord say. It was a reminder that faith, perseverance, and trust in God bring provision and beauty into every aspect of life.

"When I look at what we've built, I see more than a spa. I see a space where people can feel loved, cared for, and reminded of their worth," she says. "And for me, that's the most beautiful thing of all." 78