Nine years ago, we were in a transitional place in life.  I began to pray about what church God wanted us to be at. This was strange for me because I had been in the same church all of my life but God was shifting us.

Around this time I was also praying for a new job for my husband. I was thankful for the one he had but I really wanted to see him in a better place.

Our neighbor was working for a church called Christian Hill Community Church. They had a job for Facilities Manager come up. My husband agreed to put in an application. We prayed through the process and God opened the doors.

Part of the job was working on Sunday during church. We did not want to just go to a church because it was where the job was so we committed to take a year to pray and sit. We were open and honest with them and let them know that was our intent.

We took that year to pray and we sat. It was different for me since Duane was working so the kids and I sat alone. I was shy and I had only had my cochlear implants for a year and I did not hear really well.

I will never forget the first time Pastor Dave LaChance asked us to stand up and say hello to someone. Every fear imaginable penetrated me. I had so many insecurities and as I looked around, I remember feeling so inferior. I was used to being in a small church and this was incredibly overwhelming. God definitely put me here to get me out of my comfort zone.

During that year, I went to different events and tried to get to know some people. We got to know some families we were able to relate to and got to know the church. After that year we decided to stay and soon after we became members.

We became Deacons together and began becoming very involved in ministry. I have been blessed to be a part of helping in the Youth Ministry with the girls and in Women’s ministry. We have grown as a couple and as individuals. We have experienced the ups and downs of ministry. There have times of frustration, times of pain and feeling defeated. We have gone through times of joy and victory. We have gone through times of pruning in our own lives and in the lives of the church. l.

God has continued to keep us there though it all.

Just like in marriage, a church is made of people. We are human beings and we each have strengths and weaknesses. We have bondage and baggage.

Duane has walked me through some fires and has loved me while I work through my stuff. I have walked through trials and frustrations with Duane. I have loved him though his struggles. We have watched God heal and bring victory in each others lives and we share in the fruit of that as it causes our marriage to strengthen and grow. I am in awe of the Lord and all He does and is doing in and through us.

We had a baptism at church a few weeks ago. I watched and listened as the testimonies were shared. I looked out at the body, and I saw the joy on my Pastor’s face as he watched each one, knowing that they were proclaiming Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I stood there just thanking God for who He was, for Jesus, and for the blessing and privileged to be there.

If we had not stayed through the frustrating and hard times, we would not see the fruit.

If we had given up when God said keep going, we wouldn’t see the victory.

I see that in my marriage, in my church, and I praise God that He never gave up on me.

Faith is believing when you can’t see. There were many times when I couldn’t see what God was doing in me, my marriage, or my church. But  just like my Pastor says, I just knew in my know-er that God was doing something. He was keeping us here for a reason.

I still don’t see everything, I still don’t know everything but I do know that God is doing something in me, my husband, my marriage, and my church.

I don’t want to miss it, do you?

 

 

 

 

 

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