What's my story?

Sin. Redemption. Joy in the Journey.

Although I would have called myself a Christian growing up, I did not know Jesus. I was brought up in a family that occasionally went to a traditional church. As a teenager I began looking for more of a connection to God, and in the process became more involved in that church. I even became co-leader of the youth group there, and still I had not found what I had been looking for. Then I went to college. It was a time of searching for who I really was and where I belonged. In looking for that feeling of belonging, I became involved in many extreme groups and activities from a 10 day winter backpacking trip to participating in a Gay Pride March on Washington, DC. I was trying out lots of identities to see which one fit. Was I happy? There were moments of happiness, but I still hadn’t found the place of true belonging.

And then Vince (my husband) came along. What an unlikely pair we were. He was a man’s man AND a conservative Christian to boot. He drove a big car (Remember the ’81 Oldsmobile Cutlass?) and held a State record for the bench press. But God knew what each of us needed, and He orchestrated our meeting. I wasn’t following Him at this point, and Vince was trying, but he didn’t really have anyone showing him the way. As a result, there were many things that we did not do right. Thankfully, our God is a God of grace and mercy. We fell in love and were married a year after we met. The process of God drawing me to Him was a gradual one. You may have heard someone say that God is a gentleman; He won’t force you into anything. That is how I felt. For two years, He gently led me to a place where I could see, through several individuals, that all Christians were not hateful and judgmental. In fact, I saw many examples of loving, intelligent and caring Christians. Gradually, my thinking was shifting. Maybe there was something to a closer relationship with Jesus. Wasn’t I already a Christian? Was there more to a relationship with God than I already had? Was I ready to humble myself and admit my pride and recognize that indeed, I was in need of a Savior? And so I prayed, asking for His grace, submitting my will to Him and expressing my desire to know Him more. There was an immediate change in my life. I had more peace. The Bible, which up to this point I had really struggled to makes sense of, now brought understanding instead of confusion. I began to read the Bible in earnest. And I felt that I had finally found the place where I belonged: in relationship with a loving, merciful, all powerful, yet intimate God.The journey hasn’t always been easy, and yet He has been there through every part of it. And after all the trials and testings, I am at a place of having joy in the journey, no matter what that journey looks like. I love to spend time talking to my Daddy, sitting with Him, singing to Him, praying to Him, reading His Word, and hearing from Him. Sure there is still some stress day to day, but I have full confidence in His plan for my life and the life of those around me. I have far more peace than I have ever had before. I am able to turn situations over to Him much more quickly now and to leave it in His loving hands. And now I have the joy of leading others to this place. Thank you, Lord, for your grace.